The Power of Shikigami
by PKAquaFlame
Summary: A novelisation of Kaname's adventure in the Secret of the Cursed Mask video game. Enough said, right? Please read and review, but flames will be used to make toast marshmallows!
1. Down the Rabbit Hole

Disclaimer: I own nothing. So if you sue, you will probably get a video tape, a hairclip, and a notebook, all having nothing to do with this.

So I decided to do a novelisation of the Cursed Mask video game. The idea's been bugging me like nothing else has. So...yeah.

Hope you enjoy.

_

* * *

There have been many stories and fables in the world, but some of the most captivating and interesting are the stories from the Feudal Era of Japan. There have been stories of demons, spirits, and there's even one of a well that sends whoever falls into it into another time. But there is one that time has almost forgotten, the story of the Shikigami users. Few know about the power, and even fewer can use the power properly. This is the story of one of those weilders, a girl from the modern day age...

* * *

_"What? You can't be serious! They're really going steady?!" 

The other occupants in the bus looked at the two gossiping girls. The one who had blurted this out had short brunette hair and stormy gray eyes. She was wearing the uniform of her school, which consisted of a white long-sleeved shirt, a yellow jacket, a yellow-and-gold plaid skirt that went a little above her knees, blue socks that came up to her knees, and brown shoes.

"Kaname, shut up! You really don't have to say it out loud like that!" her friend snapped. She had long black hair, hazel eyes, and was wearing the same uniform.

Kaname blushed out of embarassment as her friend continued, "I can't believe you never even noticed! It's so obvious!"

"You really think so, don't you Harumi?"

"Yeah, like another obvious couple!" Harumi replied, causing Kaname to freak out.

"WHAT? HIRO AND SAYKO, TOO?!"

The other bus occupants looked at them again as Harumi got an anime tick on her forehead.

"Will you stop freaking out like this?! You're totally embarassing me!" she snapped. Kaname sighed.

"Sorry, Rumi, it's just...Aren't they still only in junior high? Isn't that a little young to be in a relationship?" she asked. Harumi tutted at this questioning.

"Kaname, get real! 'Already' in junior high is more like it. Besides, what's all this crap about being too young to be in a relationship? It's not that unusual. There are a lot of girls our age who have had at least three boyfriends already! Like Yuka...And Asuka...And Sakura...Oh, and Tomo-chan!" Harumi exclaimed, counting off girls with her fingers as she said each name.

"Even Tomo-chan?!" Kaname exclaimed, eyes widening. Harumi looked at her in confusion.

"What, she didn't tell you?!"

"No. I'm shocked, too. I thought I was Tomo-chan's good friend..." Kaname said sadly, sighing.

Harumi, sensing Kaname's sadness, said, "She probably didn't want to hurt your feelings, Kaname."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, tilting her head up to look at her friend. Harumi gave her a coy smile.

"You know...You've never even had _one_ boyfriend yet!" she said, causing Kaname's face to turn a very nice shade of vermilion.

"You sure blush easily, Kaname!" Harumi teased, laughing.

**"Next stop: Kururugi Shrine. Kururugi Shrine. Please ring the bell if you want to get off," **was said over the intercom.

"That's our stop!" Harumi said, ringing the bell.

The two friends got off the bus when it stopped at the shrine.

"See ya later, Kaname. My mom said I can come to the festival when I do all my homework. Good thing sensei gave us only two assignments," Harumi said. Kaname nodded in agreement as Harumi walked off.

Kaname looked at her watch and gasped.

"Darn it! I'm late!" she exclaimed, rushing through the festival until she saw her father, the preist of the shrine.

"Sorry I'm late, Dad!" she huffed when she went to the doll shop he was in.

"Kaname," her father replied, "you know this is the doll festival of wishes. It's the most important part of the Kururugi family's year."

Kamane winced at the scolding. Even though her father was actually very caring for his children, that doesn't mean he can't be a bit strict.

"Yeah, I know...But my classes went into overtime today. I'll go changed, do my homework and come help right away," she said, preparing to walk off.

"Wait a minute!" her father exclaimed, grabbing Kaname's attention.

"I've got everything under control here," he said, "Can you do me a favor and go into the storage? We need more amulets."

Kaname smiled. If the truth be told, she never liked selling the dolls.

"Okay!" she chirped, running towards the small hut that was stationed next to the house. She opened the door and looked inside. After hesitating, she went in.

"Ok, I think we put the amulets in the back last year..." she said, looking around. But alas, she could barely see anything.

_I should've remembered to bring a flashlight_, she thought as she attempted to feel her way through the small room. Since the room was too dark to see everything in detail, she didn't notice the pentagram drawing on the floor. When she stepped on this drawing, the floor collapsed under her feet. This took Kaname by surprise, thus she let out a small yelp when she fell.

"Oww! I'd better be careful around here from now on. The floor's really rotten!" she exclaimed.

_Just like my luck today,_ she thought sullenly.

_Oh well..._ she thought as she hoisted herself up. _I'll ask Dad to fix it later..._

Just then the floor collapsed even more and the last thing she was a a bright, blue light...

* * *

Ok, what'd you think?

Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make an author sad.


	2. Where Am I?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. So if you sue, you will probably get a video tape, a hairclip, and a notebook, all having nothing to do with this.

Hope you enjoy.

_

* * *

_The first thing Kaname saw when she woke up was a blue sky. 

_Where am I? _she thought as she got up and noticed her surroundings.

"A forest? Wasn't I just at the storehouse?" she asked out loud, pacing around.

_Where is my house anyway? I gotta get ready for the festival,_ she thought as she looked around for a house, or any sign of one. Nothing.

"Hello? Anyone here? Dad? Please answer me!" she called, panicking by the minute. Still nothing.

"Mom, Dad!" she called again. "Where is everyone?"

Her only answer was the tweeting of birds. Kaname's face fell; she had hoped that this was a prank pulled off by her older brother Michiru.

_Well, Dad would say I won't get anywhere by standing here, wouldn't he? _she thought as she started to walk.

_

* * *

OK, Kaname, think. You were looking for amulets, fell through a hole in the wall, and ended up here...But where IS here? This is making no sense! _she thought, putting her hand to her head. While she was walking, she was trying to think of a logical explanation for her ending up here. So far, no luck. 

"I still can't find anyone. How is that?" she asked out loud. Then she got an idea.

"Oh, yeah! My cell! I'll call the house with my cell phone!" she exclaimed, getting out her pink cell phone. But when she dialed her house number, all that came was the 'no-signal' tone.

_What the...?_ she thought as she dialed Harumi's cell phone number. Still no results.

"Why can't I get through?! I'm outside and there's no signal? That's odd..." she said as she put away her cell phone.

_Well, there goes that plan...Now what? _she thought to herself as she continued walking.

Soon she saw a trio of what seemed to be...villagers?

_Hey, there's some people! Maybe if I ask them, they'll tell me where I am. Great! Then maybe I can get out of here! _she thought, stepping forward when she realized something: They were wearing kimonos.

"Why are they...?" she asked out loud, causing the villagers to notice her.

"There it is!" one of them exclaimed. It was a middle-age man with a red top and brown pants.

"Hey, you're right!" the elderly man exclaimed. He had a light blue shirt and tan pants.

The three advanced towards Kaname, brandishing their knives.

"Wh-what'd you find? Why are you...?" Kaname asked.

"Careful! It's a demon!" the woman exclaimed. She was wearing an orange kimono.

"What? Wait, no!" Kaname exclaimed when she heard that. They thought _she_ was the demon!

"Demon, where have you taken my daughter?!" the young man demanded.

"Hey, I didn't do anything like that! I just..."

"What are you saying now?" the old man snapped. The woman nodded, saying, "All right, catch it!"

"Catch it and get my daughter back!" the young man agreed.

Kaname backed off, then broke into a run.

* * *

She eventually stopped at what seemed to be a flower field. She leaned onto one of the tree trunks, gasping for air. She had never run this far in her life. 

"I think...I lost them." she said between pants.

_But...what's going on here? _she thought as she sat down, still leaning on the trunk.

"Where's my house?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Mom...Dad! I'm scared!" Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. Then she heard a rustling.

"Huh? I really hope it's not them. I've had enough of running!" she exclaimed, looking at the nearby bushes. They rustled again. She began to panic again.

_Is it a demon?!_ she thought fearfully. Sure enough, a lavender-skinned demon appeared. It had one pale eye, a loincloth with black splotches. Its claws were dripping with blood and feathers.

"I thought I had smelled something tasty. It's a human!" The demon exclaimed. "I was just getting sick of eating birds! How convenient!" Kaname gaped at the statement.

"What?! I-I'm warning you, don't come near me!" she exclaimed, panic creeping into her voice.

"Ooh, nice and scared, too!" the demon cackled gleefully.

Kaname turned to run, but her foot got stuck in a root. The demon slowly crept up towards her.

_No! I'm going to get eaten here! I don't want to die! _she thought, tears flowing from her eyes. She braced herself for the worst...And then...A white light.

* * *

_Where am I? I'm not dead, am I?_

**"Hey, girl! You awake yet?" **

_Who's that? Wait, awake? That means I'm alive! _

She opened her eyes again and gray eyes met golden. The eyes belonged to a young man who seemed to be a little older than her. He had long silver hair, and she could see that he was wearing a red outfit. But what Kaname noticed first were the dog ears on the top of his head. She shot up.

"What are you? Why do you have dog ears?" she asked, backing up. She felt something press against her back and saw that it was the tree trunk. The young man sighed, advancing towards her.

"What are you scared about?! You're acting like I'm going to eat you. Don't run away," he said crossly, stopping at least a few feet away form her.

"But...How can I trust you, when you have dog ears and fangs? Don't come near me!" Kaname exclaimed. He crossed his arms in irritation.

"You don't get it do you? Never mind that, you were great! What kind of technique was that?" he asked. Kaname looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't remember? You fried that demon by shining that light on him," he replied, pointing at the charred corpse of the demon that had attacked her. Kaname blinked as she remembered the event.

_Oh, yeah! I was about to be eaten, and then that light appeared. I thought I was dead, but I'm not. How can that be? _she thought to herself as the young man seemed to have realized something.

"Hey, your clothes look like Kagome's clothes. You came from 'the present', didn't you?" he asked her. Kaname's eyes lit up.

"You know where I come from? Can you tell me how to get...Wait, the present? What does that mean?" she asked. The boy groaned.

"The present, you know...The _present_!" he snapped, causing Kaname to cringe.

"Um...I still don't understand." she said, causing him to sigh.

"What a hassle. C'mon, follow me. Kagome can probably explain things. Kaede's village is up ahead. Come on now." he said, walking off.

_Who's Kagome? And should I follow him? I might as well. There might be someone that knows me there. And if he was going to kill me, he would have done it while I was passed out, right? _she thought.

"Hey, kid! Are you coming or do I have to leave you there?!" the boy demanded.

"Hey, wait up!" she exclaimed, catching up to him.

* * *

Ok, what'd you think? 

Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make an author sad.


	3. Meeting Inuyasha

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

YES! This fic is not dead! (confetti)

And about pairings...Truthfully, I wasn't really intending on making it a romance between Kaname and one of the male characters, since there are so many fics with her being paired up with someone. That's part of the reason why I decided to write this novelisation. But if anything, I might put in some Kaname/Sesshomaru fluff. But that's probably it.

And a quick note: I couldn't write the fight in this chapter to save my life, no matter how hard I tried. So I pretty much skipped it. Hope you're not too disappointed.

* * *

_At least he's not trying to kill me, _Kaname thought boredly. 

The two had been walking for what seemed to be an eternity (When it actually was about two minutes). Which is the reason why she nearly crashed into the boy when he stopped abruptly.

"Hey, what was that for?" Kaname snapped.

"Be quiet!" he snapped back, sniffing the air. "There are more demons around. I think they're buddies of that demon from before."

_Oh, just fantastic, _Kaname thought sarcastically. "What should we...?" she started. He looked at her as if she had grown another head.

"What we should do is go after them! It should be easy for you if you use that technique again," he snapped.

"But that's just it, I don-" Kaname started when he interuppted her.

"Here they come!" he snapped. Just as he said that, two demons appeared. If one didn't know any better, they would say they were just a regular wolf and a regular bat.

"Be careful of the bat," he warned Kaname as an afterthought, "it shoots out poison." Kaname nodded, saying, "Got it."

_A few minutes later..._

"They were no match," he said after the two (Well, Kaname only watced from the sidelines ninety percent of the time) destroyed the enemy demons. The two then went on their way.

"Hey, wait a sec...Why didn't you use that last move over there?" he suddenly asked her. Kaname jumped at this questioning.

" That's what I was trying to tell you earlier...I didn't know how to," she replied sheepishly.

"Geez, you're lame," he muttered.

"Hey, I didn't know what to do! It's not like a natural talent!" she snapped. Then Kaname felt a small tweak on her face. She slapped the source of the tweak, which was a small...flea? The boy blinked upon seeing him.

"Myoga?" he asked.

"Long time no see, Master Inuyasha," the flea responded. It was right then and there that Kaname mentally kicked herself for not asking his name. She was always miserable at that aspect of making friends.

_So his name's Inuyasha... _she thought.

"I've observed what happened in the past ten minutes and I finally figured something out. That technique came from her subconsious," Myoga said, snapping her out of her thought.

"My subconsious? How does that work?" she asked.

"You were so afraid to die at the hands of that demon, you did it unconsiously," Myoga replied.

Kaname sighed. At least there was a good explanation as to why she couldn't do that move earlier with the two demons. Then she realized something. There was no way someone that small could be able to talk, let alone make a sound audible to the human ear. Unless...

"Are you a demon, too?" she asked Myoga.

"As a matter of fact, I am. I am Myoga, Master Inuyasha's personal bodyguard," Myoga introduced. Inuyasha scoffed.

"Why the hell do you think you can call yourself my bodyguard when you run away at the tiniest sign of danger?!" he snapped.

"I can still sense demons all around," Myoga said, trying to change the subject. "This girl's powers have not yet been awakened, so you need to be careful."

"You're right. I can still smell them," Inuyasha said, sniffing the air again.

"What should I do?" Kaname asked.

"The only thing you can do for now is to fight with whatever you have and don't slow Master Inuyasha down," Myoga replied. "We're getting close to Kaede's Village."

Kaname gulped. The only thing she has for self-defense were those karate lessons her father made her and Michiru go to, and she wasn't paying attention to most of it.

"Well, I'm going on ahead. Be careful," Myoga said, jumping off of Kaname's hand and zipping off.

"Hey, wait!" Inuyasha yelled. When nobody answered, he swore. "Dammit, he ran off again!"

"Shouldn't we be worried about the demons?" Kaname asked worriedly.

"Don't stress yourself too much about it, kid. The demons around here are as weak as you are. Let's get going," he said, walking off.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Kaname snapped, getting an anime anger mark on her forehead as she ran after him.

* * *

Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make one sad. 


	4. The Bone Eater's Well

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

On with the fic!

* * *

Kaname and Inuyasha finally arrived a small village after a half hour of walking and fighting (Inuyasha) and dodging (Kaname). 

"Finally, we're here! This is Kaede's village," Inuyasha announced. Kaname gaped at the horse-drawn carriage in front of her.

"A horse?" she said to herself.

"Are you that pathetic? You can't be scared of a horse!" Inuyasha exclaimed. Kaname jumped: he wasn't supposed to hear that!

"I'm not, it's just..." she started lamely.

_Weird hairstyles, kimonos, horses, and demons?! Is this really Japan?!_ she wanted to say as she observed her surroundings again.

"C'mon, or I'm leaving you behind!" Inuyasha snapped. Kaname sweatdropped and was about to follow when...

"Hey, Inuyasha!"

The source of the voice as a girl, about Kaname's age. She had shoulder-length black hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a green sailor uniform. Upon seeing that, Kaname felt a twinge of envy: She loved the sailor uniform. Not that she hated her jacket uniform, but if given the choice between the jacket and the sailor uniforms, she'd take the sailor uniform in a heartbeat.

"Where were you?" the girl asked. "There was a bunch of demons around town and we needed your help. For a hanyou you're really hard to find!"

Inuyasha scoffed, "If you're talking about those little demons, I already took care of 'em."

"Oh, really? Hey, who's this?" she asked, noticing Kaname. Inuyasha followed his friend's gaze towards said newcomer.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "She was being attacked by one of the larger demons, so I stepped in."

Kaname, meanwhile, was ecstatic.

"Hallelujah! Where am I? This is Japan, isn't it? There isn't a mall for miles! My cell's suddenly gone dead, and I can't find someone I recognize!" she exclaimed.

The sailor girl sweatdropped.

"Calm down. First off, I'm Higurashi Kagome. I'm in nineth grade, and this is Inuyasha," she said, bowing.

Kaname bowed also. "I'm Kururugi Kaname. I'm in nineth grade also," she replied.

"Mind telling me what happened? How did you get here from the present?" Kagome asked.

_The present again..._Kaname thought, thinking back to when Inuyasha said the same thing.

"Well..." Kaname started. "I was looking for some amulets in the storage when I suddenly fell through a hole in the floor. When I woke up, I found myself in the middle of a forest."

"I see...All right. About where you are, and why your phone died...This isn't the present." Kagome started.

Kaname blinked. Not the present?

"Yeah, Inuyasha said something about that, too. Where exactly am I?" she asked.

"You're not going to believe me, but...This is the Feudal Era."

Kaname's jaw dropped at that statement. She had expected that she had been transported somewhere really far away from her home, and that she would get there in two weeks, three tops. But the_ Feudal Era?_

"The **Feudal Era**?! You don't mean the time of Nobunaga Oda, samurai,and when guns first came to Japan?!" she exclaimed.

Kagome nodded, causing Kaname to sigh.

"But I thought demons weren't...Wait a minute! What if the demons attack the village?" she asked. Kagome smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Kaname. This village should be safe. You can stay here until you find out what happened to you," she replied. Kaname smiled back.

"Thanks, Kagome. I really appreciate it," she replied.

"Geez, you're weird. One minute you're crying like a baby and the next you're all sweet on us!" Inuyasha snapped.

"I can't really help it. I was happy because I thought I had found someone normal," Kaname explained.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be so rude, Inuyasha! You'd be crying too, if you had to go through all that!" Kagome snapped.

"Reminds me of someone else..." Inuyasha remarked, causing an anime anger mark to appear on Kagome's head.

"What do you mean by that?! _You're_ the one that's always mad at something!"

"Me, always mad? Yeah, right!"

"See?! You're doing it again! You're so short-tempered!"

"You're the one who's always touchy! You lose your temper more often than I do!"

"That's a lie!"

Kaname smiled at the scene. Seeing them argue reminded her of Harumi and Asuka, who always found some reason to fight. In fact, it was a miracle any of the arguments hadn't snowballed into one of those 'if you're her friend, then you're not mine' situations.

"You two get along well," she remarked, causing Inuyasha and Kagome to turn towards her.

"What?!" Kagome exclaimed, blushing slightly.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?! Who does she think she is?" Inuyasha stated rudely.

"Oh, stop it," Kagome chided.

"Never mind. Anyway," Inuyasha said, turning towards Kaname. "Don't you need to go to the well?"

"What for?" Kaname asked, cocking her head to the side.

"You want to go back, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What he means is that behind this village, the Bone-Eater's Well can be found. It connects our time to Feudal Japan. That's how I got here," Kagome explained. Kaname's eyes widened in realization.

"Does that mean I can go home?!" she asked excitedly.

Kagome nodded, causing Kaname to cheer.

"Can you take me there?" she asked. Kagome nodded.

"Just follow me, okay?" she said, walking to the outskirts of the village.

* * *

While the three were walking (Inuyasha tagged along, upon Kagome's request.), Kaname took the time to look at the scenery. It was really different than the environment she normally saw living in the city. 

_Maybe when I get back, I could write a book on this, _she thought.

"This is the Bone-Eater's Well," Kagome announced. Kaname snapped out of her musings and observed the gloomy-looking well.

"It almost looks like demons could come out of it," Kaname said, looking into the well.

"I don't blame you for saying that. They used to toss the dead demons in there. See the bones in the bottom?" Inuyasha said, pointing at the bottom of the well. Kaname's face turned pale at this.

"Inuyasha! You're scaring her!" Kagome snapped.

"Shut up! They were dead, anyway!" Inuyasha snapped.

"That's not what I mean! You can be so insensitive sometimes!" Kagome muttered, turning to Kaname. "Sorry about him, Kaname."

"That's alright. So, do I jump in there?" Kaname asked. Kagome nodded.

"If you do that, it should take you to our time," she said. Kaname gulped.

_It looks so deep...Almost like I could get killed if I don't do this right, _she thought.

"What are you so scared of?!" Inuyasha snapped. Kaname turned her head towards the two.

_I gotta get up the courage, _she thought.

"One...Two...Th-Th..." she whispered silently to herself. A few seconds later...

"Three, right?"

Push.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Kaname screamed as she fell down the wall. Within moments, she landed at the bottom.

_Glad that's over..._ she thought.

"Inuyasha, what was that for?! Kaname, are you okay?" Kagome's voice asked.

Kaname blinked, then slowly looked up to see Kagome and Inuyasha staring down the well.

Down at her.

"No broken bones!" Kaname replied.

"Good, she's okay," Kagome said, relieved. Then she glared at Inuyasha.

"What did you do that for, Inuyasha?!" she snapped at the hanyou.

"I couldn't resist," Inuyasha replied sheepishly.

"What if she got hurt?"

"Shut up! I was only trying to help!"

"What? How so?!"

Kaname sighed. Those two seemed to argue all the time!

"Excuse me!" she snapped.

"Hmm?" Kagome asked, looking down at the well again.

"CAN YOU GUYS HELP ME GET OUT OF HERE?!" Kaname fumed.

* * *

A few minutes later, Kaname got out of the well. It took a while before Inuyasha was finally convinced to get Kaname and bring her back up. 

"It doesn't look like the well can help," Kagome commented. "Don't worry, there's sure to be another way for you to get back."

"Okay. So what do we do now?" Kaname asked.

"Kaede halped me out when it was my turn. Why don't we visit her?" Kagome asked.

"Who is Kaede, anyway? Inuyasha mentioned her a couple of times, too," Kaname asked.

"Kaede's the wisest person here. She's a preistess, and she knows a lot of things. Maybe she knows how you can get back," Kagome replied.

"But she's always nagging me!" Inuyasha complained. Kagome smiled.

"You're the one who always gets into trouble," she commented.

"So, about Kaede? I'd like to meet her," Kaname said.

"She lives on the west side of the village. Let's go!" Kagome replied. The three went towards the village...

* * *

Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make one sad. 


	5. The Mischevious Fox and Priestess Kaede

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

On with the fic!

* * *

"Here we are, Preistess Kaede's house!" Kagome announced as they arrived a wooden hut. Two things instantly happened.

One, Kaname stumbled a little, having almost walked past the hut.

Two, a figure emerged out of the door. This figure looked exactly like Kagome!

Kagome and Kaname blinked upon seeing that.

"Kagome's back!" the Kagome look-alike exclaimed. Kaname's eyebrows shot up.

"You have a twin sister, Kagome?" she asked.

"Twin sister? What do you mean?" the doppelganger asked, grinning. Inuyasha sighed, then walked up to the doppelganger.

"Hey, Shippo! Behave yourself!" he snapped.

"Yeah, Shippo. What is she supposed to think with you looking like that all of a sudden?" Kagome asked. The doppelganger tutted.

"All right..." she said dejectedly, and a puff of smoke quickly encased her. When the smoke cleared, in its place was what seemed to be a little boy. He had red-brownish hair in a ponytail, a turquoise shirt with green leaves printed on it, blue pants, and a tan vest. What surprised Kaname the most were his pointy ears, bushy tail, and tan fox legs.

Speaking of which, Kaname jumped upon this transformation.

"What happened? Kagome turned into a child!" she exclaimed. The boy turned towards Kaname.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said sheepishly. "I was just praticing the art of transformation."

"How does that work, exactly?" Kaname asked curiously.

"When you want to trick someone, like I just did with you, you use the art of transformation," the boy replied. Kaname smiled.

"That sounds pretty cool. Anyway, what's your name? I'm Kaname." she said.

"My name's Shippo! Are you a friend of Kagome's?" Shippo asked, smiling back.

"Um...Not really. We've only just met," Kaname admitted.

"I thought Kagome brought you through the well!" Shippo exclaimed.

"I wish it were that simple..."

"Sounds like you're not having the best luck in the world."

Kaname nodded, sighing.

"You seem to be really calm about this, Shippo. Even though you're a kid," she said.

"I'm not a kid anymore!" Shippo snapped. "I'm an adult now!"

"Don't be such a smart-ass, Shippo," Inuyasha commented.

"What was that, Inuyasha?!"

"Both of you, stop it! We're going to Kaede's to help Kaname, remember?" Kagome interuppted them. Shippo made silly faces at Inuyasha.

"Cut it out, Shippo!" Inuyasha snapped, hitting Shippo on the head. A large bump grew on Shippo's head, much to Kaname's alarm.

"That hurt!" Shippo complained. Kagome glared at Inuyasha.

"That does it! Inuyasha, **sit**!" she snapped. The necklace Inuyasha had on started to glow a light purple, and a second later he was slammed into the ground hard, almost as if the necklace itself was pulling him down. Kaname was astonished at this.

"What was that?!" she exclaimed.

"That's the power of Preistess Kaede," Kagome replied. "Let's go talk to her before we get into any more trouble."

"I agree," Kaname said as everyone (including a very embarassed Inuyasha) went into the hut.

Inside, they saw an old woman with graying hair tied into a ponytail, a white shirt, red baggy pants, white socks, and sandals. She had an eyepatch over her right eye.

"Inuyasha, what's the matter? Kagome and Shippo, too? And who's this?" she asked, addressing everyone as they went in.

"Um, hello. My name's Kaname," Kaname introduced herself. Kaede observed her for a minute.

"From the look of your clothes, I'd say you came from the same place as Kagome," she said.

"Um..." Kaname said. She was starting to feel a little intimidated by her. Maybe it was just the eyepatch, or the stern look on her face that reminded Kaname of her father.

"You can relax," Kaede said, smiling. "Nobody's going to eat you." 

_That's a relief, _Kaname thought, letting out a breath she didn't know she had taken. 

"Kaede, we need your help on something..." Kagome started.

"And that's what happened," Kaname finished. She had told of what happened when she came to the Feudal Era, with little tidbits added by Inuyasha and Kagome.

"The well didn't work," Inuyasha added.

"Do you mean the Bone-Eater's Well?" Kaede asked, a bit surprised.

"Yeah. When I tried it, I just fell straight to the bottom," Kaname confirmed. "Do you know any other way I can get home?" 

Kaede thought for a minute at this questioning.

"Unfortunately...I do not," she finally said, causing Kaname to frown.

"Do you mean I can't go home? Mom...Dad...Michiru..." she asked, eyes filling with tears.

"I feel for you, Kaname," Shippo said, hoping to make her feel better.

"Why are you so upset?" Inuyasha asked Kaname, causing her to cringe.

"Don't be so hard on her!" Kagome snapped.

"Whatever! It's not like she'll die if she can't get home!" Inuyasha snapped back.

"Would it kill you to be a little nicer?!"

"Will you two stop fighting?" Shippo complained.

Kaname sighed. Not even Harumi and Asuka could argue as much as those two! In the short time she had known them, Kaname considered it a miracle that the two were still friends. 

"But being nice isn't going to find a way home!" Inuyasha snapped, ignoring Shippo. "If Kaname wants to get home, she needs to find a way to do that."

"Find a way?" Kaname said, tilting her head to the side.

"Was that what you were trying to say, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. 

"Well, what else? Kid, you can be upset any time you want, but it won't get you anywhere." Inuyasha said to Kaname. 

Kaname smiled. If she didn't know any better, Harumi could have been a relative of Inuyasha: They both seem to be intimidating (Lord knows how intimidated Kaname was when she first met them; With Harumi, Kaname was a new student at school who sat next to her, and, well, you guys know about her meeting Inuyasha) but both of them have a certain nice streak.

"I guess I'll have to try. Thanks," she said.

"It's fine, as long as you get it," Inuyasha replied.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said in a warning tone.

"If that's the case," Kaede said, "then Kaname should stay with you guys."

"What?! That's going too far, old lady!" Inuyasha snapped. 

"Like when Kagome first entered this world, this is no trivial matter, Inuyasha." Kaede responded.

"So what?!"

"If anything should happen, it would be best if you four stuck together."

"What a bother!" Inuyasha muttered. "Fine, whatever!" That caused Kagome and Kaname to smile.

"Things are looking up, huh Kaname?" Kagome asked.

"Definitely!" Kaname exclaimed. 

"Why don't we listen to the village gossip? We may find a clue as to why Kaname's here," Kagome said, standing up.

"Maybe," Kaname agreed, standing up, followed by Shippo and a profanity-spouting Inuyasha. 

"This is going nowhere!" Inuyasha exclaimed as they stopped at the staircase leading to the cemetery.

"True, but we still don't have any clues..." Kagome said. 

"I still don't know..." Kaname said.

"It would help if you had seen anything out of the ordinary..."

"Something's been bothering me. Why couldn't you use the Bone-Eater's Well, but Kagome could? Aren't you two from the same time?" Shippo asked Kaname. She thought about that for a minute.

"Maybe it's because I didn't here through the Bone-Eater's Well," she finally answered. 

"Really? Then that means...Was there anything like the Bone-Eater's Well where you woke up?" Kagome asked. 

"If that's the case, all we have to do is go to the place where you woke up," Inuyasha said.

Kaname nodded and tried to remember where that was exactly. But she kept drawing blanks.

"One problem: I can't remember where that was. I kept running away at the time," she said sheepishly.

Inuyasha muttered something that sounded remotely like, "What a chicken."

"You really can't remember where it was?" Inuyasha asked when the group came to the Bone-Eater's Well again.

"Was there someone with you at the time you woke up? We could ask them," Kagome asked.

"Well..." Kaname started when she remembered something.

_"Demon, where have you taken my daughter?!"_

"There were the villagers I saw before I met Inuyasha!" she exclaimed. 

"Maybe we should ask them," Kagome said.

"Let's find them, then!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

* * *

"Hey, didn't we look here already?" Inuyasha asked five minutes later.

"Yeah, but I still haven't found one trace of the villagers I saw," Kaname asked.

"Well...Maybe they live in the village next to us, Akebi Village," Kagome said. 

"Really? Maybe they were from there! Is Akebi Village near here?" Kaname asked.

"Yeah, but..."

"But...?"

"There's all kinds of demons on the way there!" Shippo said, almost fearfully.

"Yeah, they come after you even if you step one foot out of the villages," Kagome said.

"I know. I was attacked by one earlier, remember?" Kaname asked.

"So you need to be careful," Kagome said, nodding. Inuyasha smirked.

"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you've got nothin' to worry about!" he boasted.

"Yeah!" Shippo exclaimed. "Your brawn more than makes up for your lack of brains!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped, punching Shippo on the head. Another bump grew on his head.

"What was that for?" Shippo whined.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. 

"Um...Hey, You two are demons, right?" Kaname asked pointing at Inuyasha and Shippo. 

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha snapped. 

"Sorry. It's just that I'm a little surprised. I always thought demons were evil. But here we are!" Kaname confessed.

"Well, about that...Technically, Inuyasha's not really a demon," Kagome said.

"Yeah, you called him a hanyou earlier..." Kaname said.

"Drop it, you two," Inuyasha snapped. 

"Um...Anyway, can you lead the way to Akebi Village?" Kaname asked almost hopefully. 

"Of course I can. We can all go! But I'll need to get some supplies first," Kagome replied.

"Good idea. You never know what kinds of demons there are out there," Shippo said. Kaname remembered something and got some coins out of her backpack. (1)

"I found some money from the demons Inuyasha and I encountered," she explained, giving Kagome the money.

"Good thing. With four of us, we'll need plenty of supplies," Kagome said. 

Minutes later...

"Can we go now?" Inuyasha said when Kagome was done.

"All right, let's go!" she said. The four started on their way...

* * *

Author's Notes:

(1) Is it just me, or did her backpack seemingly disappear when she was sent to the Feudal Era in the game? She had the backpack on at the beginning and ending cenimas, didn't she? 

Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames make one sad.


	6. The Power of Shikigami

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

On with the fic!

* * *

"This is Akebi Village!" Kagome announced as they entered the village.

The first person Kaname noticed was a man with a dark blue shirt, brown pants with green embridory, white socks, sandals, and a green bandana on his head. He had a large yellow bag on is back, and his hand was wrapped around the reins of his horse.

Kagome seemed to notice him too, as she came towards him and asked, "Excuse me, what kind of merchandise do you have?"

While Kagome was buying supplies from the merchant, Kaname walked towards the nearby logger.

"Excuse me, what can you tell us about this village?" she asked.

"Akebi Village is famous for its charcoal. People from all over come here to buy it. The charcoal comes from the trees that we loggers have grown ourselves, so it's no surprise that we've become famous." he replied.

_And that helps us...how? _Kaname thought to herself as Kagome finished shopping.

"We'd better look around for the villagers you saw," she said. Kaname nodded.

* * *

"Hey, travelers! Have you heard about the old tremple?"

The source of the voice was a villager who had dark grey hair pulled up into a ponytail, a light grey shirt, brown pants, and sandals. The group turned towards him.

"I heard that there's a bunch of demons in there," he continued,

"In the old temple?" Kagome asked.

"Sounds really scary..." Kaname said, shivering. The mentioning of an old temple reminded her of the horror movie _Ju-on. _Harumi and her brother Aoi had dragged her and Michiru into seeing said horror movie. Neither of the twins could sleep for days. It finally took a sleeping pill and a grounding threat from their father to get them to sleep.

"Yeah, right! There's nothing to be scared of," Inuyasha scoffed.

"I hope so..." Shippo said nervously.

* * *

They were then approached by another villager. He had a pale pink shirt, blue pants, and sandals.

"You can't get out of the village either?" he asked them.

"Why do you ask?" Kagome asked.

"Your clothes are different, so I assumed you and your friend aren't from here," he replied, nodding towards Kaname.

"You're right about that, but why can't people get out of the village?" Kaname asked.

"Because of the spider. There's been a demon spider crawling around the place. Everyone's too scared to get out of the village," the villager replied.

"Sp-spider?" Kaname asked, shivering.

"I don't like them that much, either," Kagome said.

_Something tells me that's not the problem, _Shippo thought.

"And it's not just any regular spider. It's an enormous spider that catches its prey in its white web," the villager continued, eyes gleaming.

"I don't like this..." Kaname said, turning pale.

"And he has black hairs on his legs!"

"I think he's exaggerating," Shippo said, in an effort to comfort Kaname and Kagome, who had wrapped her arms around herself.

"He has more than ten eyes!" the villager exclaimed.

"He's _deninitely_ exaggerating!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Talk stright, old man!" Inuyasha snapped. The villager scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"Sorry about that. I just get a kick out of the girls screaming. I got carried away again. Anyway, until someone takes care of the demon, the travelers here are bound to the village by fear," he said sheepishly.

Sweatdropping, Kagome approached another villager.

"Excuse me, what can you tell me about the demon spider?" she asked him.

"All I know is that a girl was kidnapped by that spider. She was an adorable little girl, named Sachi. I hope she's all right," he replied.

"That's horrible!" Kaname exclaimed.

* * *

The group approached another villager. He had black rededing heir pulled into a ponytail, a gray shirt, green pants, and sandals.

"Do you know anything about the demon spider?" Kaname asked.

"The spider in the old temple?" he asked. The group nodded.

"Ever since I was a child, it lived in the old temple. But it's been wandering around and attacking the villagers lately. Until now it was satisfied just to eat goats and other livestock. Why are you asking? Are you going to the temple?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"So what if we are?" Inuyasha snapped. The villager sweatdropped.

"Um, nothing. Sorry," he apologised.

* * *

"Don't you think it's strange that the spider hadn't come after people until now?" Kaname asked.

"It's not that unusual. He probably got tired of eating goats and livestock. I've seen it happen a couple of times," Inuyasha replied.

"But still..." Kagome started.

"Hey, there's someone we haven't asked," Shippo said, pointing at a figure near the shore of the pond.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Kaname said, nodding.

"Hey, are you going to the lake? If so, you should definitely talk to Kakuju. You'll definitely hear helpful stories," a nearby villager advised.

"We'll do that," Kagome said as the group want towards the lake.

* * *

As they approached the lake, the noticed that the figure was an old man with gray hair pulled into a ponytail, with bangs covering his eyes, and a blue shirt with white details, blue pants, and sandals. (1)

"What rare use of Shikigami power..." he said quietly.

"Huh?" Kaname asked. He turned towards the group.

"When you were attacked by that demon, do you remember what you cried out?" he asked Kaname.

"Um..."

Kaname tried to remember something, **anything,** about that event. But she kept drawing blanks. Had she really said anything before that light?

"How the hell would you know?" Inuyasha asked, eyes narrowing.

"I wonder..." Kakuju said, chuckling.

"Strange gramps..." Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome turned towards Inuyasha and Kaname, figuring one or both of them knew something about what Kakuju was talking about.

"What's this about, you two?" she asked them.

"I don't think it's likely, but Kaname has some kind of weird power," Inuyasha replied, earning wide eyes from Shippo and Kagome.

"Honestly?" Shippo asked.

"I guess so," Kaname said, thinking back to the demon attack.

"You _guess_ so?! That demon was fried!" Inuyasha exclaimed, causing Kagome and Shippo's eyes to widen again.

"So, um...What exactly can you tell me about this power, Grandpa Kakuju?" Kaname asked, sweatdropping.

"We call it Shikigami. It's a special power that can only be weilded by a few people. This is a spiritual power that exists in every creature in the universe," Kakuju replied.

"Sounds pretty awesome!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Yeah, Kaname! You have a power, too!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Kaname, is it? You've only just awakened your powers. You don't know how to use them to your fullest potential yet," Kakuju told her.

"I probably don't," Kaname replied dejectedly.

"Don't feel bad, Kaname. We don't have anything like this is our world," Kagome comforted her friend.

"Your world?" Kakuju enquired.

"Yes. I came from a different world, and was brought here unexpectedly," Kaname explained.

"I see. You're from a different world. That's very unusual," Kakuju said.

"Can't you tell from their clothing?" Shippo asked.

"I'm sorry, but my eyesight's not what it used to be," Kakuju explained.

"Sorry," Shippo said sheepishly.

"So do you know anything?" Inuyasha asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't know anything that could help you. I'm sorry," Kakuju said.

"I see..." Kaname said dejectedly.

"I guess we should go," Kagome said quietly. The group nodded as they turned away...

"Wait a minute!" Kakuju shouted, causing everyone to stop.

"What is it now?" Inuyasha snapped.

"I'll admit I don't know what brought you into this world," Kakuju said to Kaname. "But I can teach you how to use your Shikigami powers. That is, if you want to learn."

"That's great! Kid, you should take this opportunity," Inuyasha said to Kaname.

"All right. Please teach me, Grandpa Kakuju," Kaname said, bowing.

"Okay, then. Stand in front of me, hold my hand, close your eyes, and be very still," Kakuju ordered. Kaname followed each instruction. When her eyes slid shut, her body was enveloped in a red light, surprising and nearly blinding everyone.

When the light subsided, Kaname felt a surge of power flow through her body. This surge was so great that she almost fell to her knees.

"Wow, Kaname! Your body lit up! Is that Shikigami?" Shippo exclaimed.

"No, we've only awakened her power. Kaname, now you'll learn how to use the Shikigami," Kakuju said, turning towards a nearby rock. It seemed to sparkle green in the sunlight.

"Look at the texture of this rock. It's made from Serpentine, which reacts to Shikigami power. If you can properly use it, the rock will break as a reaction. Go ahead and try it," he instructed.

Kaname nodded and walked towards the rock. She knelt down next to it and put her hand on it. She concentrated on the rock until it glew a bright red and was reduced to dust. Her jaw dropped; She hadn't expected it to happen that fast.

"I did it!" she exclaimed, standing up.

"That's great!" Kagome exclaimed, smiling.

"Whatever! I can do that, no sweat," Inuyasha boasted.

"Talk about competitive!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Inuyasha, this isn't the time to wave your sword around," Kagome scolded.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. Kakuju chuckled upon listening to the arguement.

"So do you think you've learned how to use your power, Kaname?" he asked her.

"Pretty much," Kaname replied, nodding.

"The real test will be putting it into actual use," Kakuju informed her. Kaname nodded. Putting it to the test shouldn't be too hard; she was traveling with Inuyasha and the others, for crying out loud!

"All right. Thank you, Grandpa Kakuju," she said, bowing.

"So let's find a villager who knows something else about that spider!" Kagome announced as they left.

Kakuju smiled, then turned back towards the lake again. He didn't know why, but Kaname reminded him of someone...of _her_.

* * *

"Unbelievable! We've searched the entire village and still no sign of those villagers you saw!" Inuyasha complained.

"I know it's frustrating, but we can't give up. Those villagers may have seen something that'll bring me home," Kaname

"Maybe they're at another village. We should go to Kaede's village and..." Kagome said.

"Hey!" Kaname exclaimed, pointing to one of the villagers. It was the young man who chased her, thinking she was a demon!

"I found you! You were the one who chased me in that feild!" she exclaimed. The man's eyes narrowed.

"Have you come to abduct someone again!?" he asked suspiciously. The group sweatdropped. "Hey, everyone! A demon! Demon, give back my daughter!" he continued.

The young man's wife and her father joined him, eyes narrowing at the sight of Kaname and Kagome.

"What is he babbling about?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't be rude, just give me a minute," Kagome said, turning to the villagers.

"You don't have to be scared, she's not a demon. And neither am I," she continued, noticing the narrowed eyes pointed at her.

"Oh, really? Then what's with the strange clothing?" the young man demanded.

"It's just an unusual circumstance, but my friend and I are regular people, like you," Kagome said.

"It's true. I'm not a demon," Kaname added.

The woman stepped up and looked the two girls over.

"Now that you mention it, they look kinda weak to be demons," she said pointing at Kaname and Kagome.

"Then that means...I can't believe it! We were about to capture a regular kid!" her father exclaimed.

"I'm really sorry about this. We were so panicked when we found our daughter was kidnapped by that spider demon, that we couldn't see straight," the young man explained.

"Are you talking about that little girl we heard about? Sachi, right?" Shippo asked.

"That's her. We went looking for her for a long while. I think we passed Kaede's Village while we were looking," the young woman said.

"That must've been when I showed up," Kaname added, putting two and two together.

"That's right. We saw your strange clothes and appearance, so we thought you were a demon in disguise. It's like he said," the older man said, pointing at his son-in-law.

"It's all right. Can I ask you something, though? Did you happen to see a well or something out of the ordinary around the area where you saw me?"

"No, I didn't. I searched that area pretty well, and I didn't see anything too out of the ordinary. What about you guys?" the younger man asked his companions, who shook their heads.

"I see..." Kaname said dejectedly.

"Dammit! We came all this way and still nothing!" Inuyasha complained.

"Maybe we should head back to Kaede's Village," Shippo suggested.

"Wait a minute! What about Sachi? Did you find her?" Kagome asked.

"No we didn't. The young men that went to the temple to fetch her never came back. I'm starting to think I should go after her," the young man admitted.

"What are you saying?! I won't allow it! What could we do without you?!" the young woman exclaimed.

"Damn! We're no match for a demon of that size!" the old man exclaimed.

"In that case, we'll go after it for you," Inuyasha said, shocking everyone.

"Are you serious?! Did you hear that?" the young man asked his companions.

"How can we ever thank you?" the older man asked Inuyasha.

"Please help Sachi before it's too late!" the young woman pleaded.

Shippo was still shocked.

"Inuyasha, I didn't expect to hear that from you! Do you have a fever?" he asked.

"I got tired of walking all the time. I need at least a little excitement for today," Inuyasha replied.

"Oh, I see," Shippo said, shaking his head.

"But what about..." Kaname started.

"It's probably some stale old demon crawling around the temple. This'll be a piece of cake," Inuyasha said.

"But the villagers said he has been acting differently," Kaname pointed out.

"Shut up, kid! What do you know about demons?! You met us a couple of days ago!" Inuyasha snapped. "So where's the old temple?" he asked the young man.

"It's past the rocky expanse at the end of the village," the young man replied. "Please help Sachi."

"No need to worry," Kaname assured him as the group left for the temple...

* * *

Author's Notes:

(1) The only details I remember of Kakuju's appearance/outfit is that his hair covering his eyes, and that his outfit is blue. So just bear with me here, 'kay?

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews make an author happy. Flames makes one sad.


	7. The Demon Spider

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

Okay, guys. This might seem rushed, but that's probably because I didn't write any demon fights except for the demon spider fight.

Sorry it took a while to update, so here! My longest chapter in this novelisation yet, just for you guys!

On with the fic!

* * *

"I can't see anything in this fog!" Kaname complained.

Nobody argued with her: it was getting foggier by the minute. If it got any foggier before they got there, Kaname was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to find the temple anytime soon.

Which is why she was surprised to see a merchant at the fork in the road.

He had short black hair, a pale blue shirt, magenta pants, and sandals.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Shippo asked.

"I was looking for some herbs, actually. But I got lost and stayed in the old temple over there," he replied, pointing at the road to the group's right.

"But as time went by, I heard scratching noises from under the floor. On top of that, I found letters all over the place. That scared me enough to get out of there," he finished.

"The old temple...That's where we're going," Kaname blurted.

"Huh? You're actually going there?!" the merchant exclaimed.

"So what if we are?!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Don't be so rude, Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped, turning towards the merchant. "Sorry about him. Yes, we are going to the temple to take care of the spider demon."

"Really? Well then, good luck to you," he said.

* * *

After a while, the team had found the temple. Well, Kaname stumbled a little while climbing the stairs.

"Geez, you're clumsy," Inuyasha said.

"Shut up," Kaname snapped, blushing out of embarassment.

"This is the old temple? Looks perfect for a demon spider's home," Kagome said, shivering.

"Looks like there's more than that!" Kaname exclaimed, pointing at a group of crow demons advancing toward them. The four got into their fighting positions.

* * *

"Do you think you're getting the hang of using your powers, Kaname?" Shippo asked when the group had found what seemed to be a safe haven. Kagome was bandaging any injuries they had with her first aid kit. Right now she was fixing Inuyasha's injuries while Shippo and Kaname were talking.

"I'm not really sure. I mean, it beats using karate - Which I'm miserable at - but there's probably a lot more to it than firing random bursts at enemies," Kaname replied, remembering the demon attack. There was a such a huge draining of energy she had felt that she passed out that time, not the small decreases she felt firing random shots.

"I'm all done!" Kagome exclaimed, wrapping up the last of Inuyasha's injuries.

"Good. Now we can...huh?" Kaname said, noticing a piece of paper on the nearby table. She picked it up and observed it.

"What is it?" Shippo asked, looking over her shoulder.

"It looks like a journal entry. It says, _'I got lost and ended up in this temple. But I'm starting to have a bad feeling.'_ Sounds creepy," Kaname said, shivering.

"Is this one of the letters the merchant told us about?" Shippo asked.

"It's probably the spider this person was scared of," Kagome said, reading the letter.

"Who cares about a stupid letter? Let's get going!" Inuyasha snapped. So the group progressed.

* * *

"Here's another letter!" Shippo exclaimed, holding another paper.

"Let's see..._'I lost a very important key. I had it when I was making my meal...Maybe I dropped it somewhere'_," Kagome read aloud.

"What could the key be for?" Kaname asked.

"I did notice a door a few minutes ago..." Shippo said.

"Why didn't you say something before?!" Inuyasha snapped.

"I was about to when we were attacked by those ghosts!" Shippo snapped back.

"Let's go look for the key!" Kagome said.

* * *

"I found another letter!" Kaname exclaimed.

"What's it say this time?" Kagome asked.

"_'There's a spooky sound coming from under the floor. What kind of sound it is? An animal? A demon? I'm terrified!' _The guy we saw earlier mentioned that, right?" Shippo read aloud.

_Scratch, scratch. _

Kaname froze upon hearing that.

"Was that..." she started.

"Don't be so scared about some scratching! It's probably from a small demon or something," Inuyasha snapped.

"I don't know..." Kaname replied.

"Here's another!_ 'I got lost while we were traveling. It's very spooky here. We should get out of here as soon as possible'_," Kagome said.

As you can guess, that did absolutely_ nothing_ to help Kaname's nerves.

* * *

"What kind of room do you think this was?" Kaname asked, looking around another room they had entered. There were jars all over the place, and something that looked like a cooking pot sat in the middle of the room.

"Isn't it obvious? It was probably a kitchen," Shippo said, pointing at the stone oven.

"A kitchen...Oh!" Kaname exclaimed, looking around.

"What are you doing now?" Inuyasha asked.

"Remember the letter? The one that mentioned a key. Whoever wrote it said that he had it when he was making his meal, so maybe he dropped it here," Kaname replied, lifting up a cooking pot.

"So maybe the key's here!" Kagome exclaimed, eyes widening in realization.

"Hey!" Shippo exclaimed, pointing at a small key on the floor. It was by Kagome's foot.

"This must be the key!" Kagome exclaimed, picking it up.

"Maybe we'll find that spider demon. I mean, the key was supposed to be important. And those scratches from under the floor. Do you think the demon spider caused them?" Kaname said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go after it!" Inuyasha snapped.

* * *

They unlocked the door, and went down the stairs, only to find another letter.

"Another letter._ 'There has been an increasing amount of demons in the basement. Is it some kind of premonition? I'm scared!'_ " Kaname read aloud.

"I'm scared myself!" Shippo exclaimed fearfully.

"There's probably nothing to be scared about," Kaname said, in an attempt to calm Shippo down.

"Kaname's right. We just have to find the spider demon, destroy it, and see if Sachi's alright," Kagome said.

"I hope so..." Shippo said.

* * *

"There's a smell in the air," Inuyasha announced as they entered a hallway.

"Really?" Kaname asked. She had forgotten that Inuyasha had a sensitive sense of smell compared to a human's.

"There's no doubt. That's the smell of human blood in the air," Inuyasha said, making the others shiver.

"Be careful, Inuyasha. The villagers mentioned a spider's web. Human blood and the idea of a spider's web gives me the creeps," Kagome warned.

"You think I forgot about the web? You guys stay here if you're so scared!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Are you nuts?!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Yeah, you'll be in danger if you go alone!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Don't worry. It's better to fight a ghost by yourself anyway. I'll make short work of him and come back," Inuyasha said, walking off.

"That idiot, always making decisions on his own!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Yes, but he probably means well. He was trying to keep us out of danger," Kagome said.

"Really? I didn't hear him say that..." Kaname added.

"He's just too stubborn to," Kagome said. "So I guess we should wait here until..."

_Ping!_

Kagome's eyes widened. Was that...

"This can't be! I sense a Shikon Jewel shard!" she exclaimed, causing Shippo's eyes to widen.

"What?!" he exclaimed. They had _not_ expected that to happen!

"Shikon Jewel shard? What's that?" Kaname asked.

Kagome turned towards her, saying, "The Jewel shards are what we were looking for this whole time. The Shikon no Tama was originally a whole sphere, but it was broken by accident."

"Holding even one shard increases its owner's power a thousand fold!" Shippo exclaimed.

"So if the demon spider has it, doesn't that mean..." Kaname started.

"Inuyasha's in trouble!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Let's go, Shippo!" Kagome exclaimed. Shippo nodded.

"What about me?" Kaname asked.

"You stay here. We don't want you to risk your life," Kagome said, running down the hallway. Shippo followed, leaving Kaname alone.

_I wonder if they'll be okay, _Kaname thought. _I'm glad they're concerned about my safety, even though I've only known them for a short while. But I don't want to be in the way_

"What in the seven hells is this?!"

"AHHHH!"

Kaname snapped out of her thoughts when she heard that.

_That was Inuyasha and Kagome! Are they okay?! _Kaname thought.

Without thinking, she ran down the dark hallway.

* * *

When she entered the room, Kaname instantly saw a giant crimson-colored spider. It glared menacingly at her as she noticed her friends covered in thick cobwebs.

"Is everyone all right?!" Kaname asked.

"Well, well, well! Another one! Since you've escaped being captured, you should just run. You don't really want me to drink your blood, do you?" the spider asked.

"Sh-Shut up!" Kaname stammered, trying to put up a brave front.

"How idiotic!" the spider exclaimed, spitting out a glowing green ball at Kaname. She dodged the ball, falling to the floor as she did so.

"Kid, he's using a Shikon Jewel shard. You can't win with your current level of power! You have to run away!" Inuyasha yelled at her.

Kaname was in a daze. If she didn't help in some way, the spider would eat her friends! But what could she do?

A small shimmer of sunlight managed to creep its way into the room, causing green sparkles to appear on the rock positioned above the spider's web. Kaname noticed it instantly.

_Is that Serpintine rock? Grandpa Kakuju told me about that! I wonder..._ she thought.

"Give up already? Then I'll just eat you first," the spider announced, causing the other's heads to snap towards Kaname.

"You idiot! Why the hell are you standing there?!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Get out of here, Kaname!" Kagome exclaimed.

The spider then shot another green ball at Kaname, who barely dodged it. This was her chance. She put her hands in a praying position.

_"O flame burning bright, change form at my call!" _she chanted. As she said this, a bright light flooded the room. When it faded, the webs holding Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo had been destroyed.

"Wh-What?!" the spider exclaimed. That was _not_ part of his plan.

Kagome gasped as she realized what had happened.

"I'm free!" Shippo exclaimed happily. He and the others got up.

"Now we can get him!" Inuyasha exclaimed, smirking. That infuriated the spider considerably.

"Damn you all! When I'm through with you I'll be drinking everyone's blood!" he exclaimed, firing another green ball at the group, this time at Shippo.

"You okay?" Kagome asked.

"It's just a scratch. I'll live," he replied, getting out some firecrackers.

"Fire Bombs!" he yelled, throwing them at the spider. That was shortly followed by Kagome shooting an arrow at one of the spider's legs, which caused it to stumble a little.

"You're going to pay for that!" the spider exclaimed, taking in a deep breath.

"Watch out!" Kagome yelled, dodging as the spider fired web strands at the group. Everyone dodged, except for Kaname. The web had wrapped around her feet, trapping her.

"Hahaha! Looks like I will be getting a meal after all!" the demon spider taunted, crawling towards Kaname. Her eyes widened at this predicament.

_C'mon...Please help me, Shikigami! _she thought, holding out her right hand. A burst of Shikigami energy came, hitting the spider on the leg Kagome's arrow had hit, causing the demon to stagger back.

Shippo saw his chance and held out his hand. A green flame appeared on his palm.

"I'll help! Fox Fire!" he yelled, aiming the flame at the web holding Kaname. She got up before any of the fire could burn her.

"Thanks," she said to Shippo.

Now infuriated, the spider attacked the closest one he could find: Kagome. Well, he attempted to attack.

"You're not getting away!" Inuyasha snapped, gripping the handle of his sword tightly with both hands.

"WIND SCAR!" he yelled, swinging it down hard. To Kaname's amazement, that released a huge amount of energy at the spider demon, weakening it considerably.

Kagome fired another arrow as the spider recovered from the Wind Scar. It hit his body this time, causing the spider to shreik out of pain as he disenegrated into dust, which blew away.

"Everyone okay?" Kagome asked, looking around.

"I'm a little battered up, but I'll live," Kaname said, dusting herself off.

"Thanks for helping us, Kaname. I thought we were goners," Kagome said.

"That was dangerous, you idiot! What were you thinking?!" Shippo snapped.

"Shut up, Shippo. Everyone's safe now, that's all that matters," Inuyasha said, unseathing the Tetsusaiga.

"You could at least say thanks. She saved your life, too," Kagome suggested. Kaname sweatdropped.

"That's fine, really. I'm just glad I could help out a little bit," she said.

"Don't be modest," Kagome said.

"I guess you're not as useless as I thought, Kaname," Inuyasha said.

"What's that mean?" Kaname asked, obtaining an anime anger mark on her forehead.

"He just angry. Think of it as an 'Inuyasha compliment'," Shippo said.

"Okay," Kaname said, giggling as she gazed across the room when her eyes landed on a giant cocoon made of spider's web. "Huh?"

"What is it?" Kagome asked.

"Th-There's something over there," Kaname stammered, pointing at the cocoon.

"You don't think there's a spider egg in there, do you?" Shippo asked.

"Don't say that, Shippo!" Kaname wailed as she and Kagome shivered in fear.

"What are you two so scared about?" Inuyasha snapped, walking towards the cocoon. He sliced it in half in one swing. To everyone's surprise (and relief), it wasn't a spider's egg, but a little girl. Her dark brown hair was held into a ponytail. She was wearing a red-and white kimono with a pink sash, and she was wearing sandals.

"That was so scary! Thank you!" she chirped.

"Are you all right?" Kagome asked, just about ready to tend to any wounds.

"I have a couple of scratches here and there, but I'm fine," the girl replied. Kaname then remembered something. Didn't the villagers of Akebi village say something about a little girl?

"Is your name Sachi?" she asked.

"Yes, it is! But how do you know?" Sachi asked.

"Your parents asked us to find you," Shippo said.

"I'm glad you're safe," Kagome said, smiling.

"At least you haven't been eaten. Let's go," Inuyasha said.

"Wait a minute!" Kagome exclaimed, walking toward the place where the demon spider had been last. She picked up what looked like pink glass shards.

_Are those the Shikon Jewel shards Kagome mentioned? _Kaname thought as Kagome pulled out a small glass jar with about two mroe shards in them and put the new shards inside.

"Now we can go," she said, putting the glass jar back into her pocket as the group walked out of the temple.

* * *

"You should probably get going. Your parents are worried sick about you," Kaname said when they finally approached the village.

"Okay. Thank you so much!" Sachi exclaimed, running off.

"That takes care of everything," Inuyasha said.

"We should see if Sachi came home safely," Shippo said.

"Shippo's right, Inuyasha," Kagome said.

* * *

"I'm glad you all came back safely," Sachi's mother said.

"Sachi told us what happened. We were waiting for a chance to thank you," Sachi's father had said.

"You don't have to worry about the spider anymore, right?" Kaname said.

"Only because we were in danger," Inuyasha said.

"It must have been terrifying," Sachi's father said, getting out a small pouch. He handed it to Kaname.

"Here. We'd like to give you this to show our appreciation for helping Sachi," he continued as Kaname opened the pouch.

"Money? I don't know if I can take this..." she trailed off. She was trying to be considerate; the family could need the money.

"Please accept it," Sachi's mother said. "I know it's not much, but maybe it can help you on your quest. Think of this as both a thank you and an apology for how we treated you." She nodded towards Kaname as she said this.

"But..."

"I think we should take it. It would be rude if we didn't," Kagome said. Kaname nodded.

"Okay. I'll accept it. Thank you," she said, bowing towards Sachi's family.

"Thanks again!" Sachi's father said.

"Thank you!" Sachi chirped. The group left the house.

* * *

"Let's go see if Grandpa Kakuju is still at the lake. I want to thank him for his help," Kaname said.

"Good idea. You might get more hints on how to use your Shikigami power," Kagome said.

"Let's just go already!" Inuyasha snapped as they walked towards the pond.

* * *

"He's still here!" Shippo exclaimed when they saw the elderly man at the edge of the lake again.

"Grandpa Kakuju, we're back!" Kaname said. Kakuju turned towards the group.

"Well, that was certainly quick. But in this short time you've experienced so much," he said. "It seems like you've learned how to use your Shikigami power much better. Tell me what happened."

"Well..." Kaname started.

"I'm surprised you beat the spider," Kakuju said after the story was told. "You have gotten better at using your Shikigami, Kaname. But I predict that you will be fighting more demons from now on, each one stronger than the last. But there's hope."

"What a dumb old man!" Inuyasha muttered.

"Inuyasha, don't be so rude!" Kagome snapped. "Sorry about him, Kakuju."

"Don't worry about it," Kakuju replied as he turned to face the lake again. "There are several uses for Shikigami. Some of which even I don't know about. But what I can tell you is that it can definitely do more than break rocks. As I'm sure you've found out, you can use it when you're fighting."

He turned towards Kaname, continuing, "If you want to learn how to use Shikigami when you're fighting, stand beside me, close your eyes, and be very still." Kaname did so and felt another burst of power within her as she was surrounded by a bright red light.

"Now you have learned to use the power of Shikigami when you fight," Kakuju announced.

"Honestly? That's great!" Kagome exclaimed. Kaname smiled. She was feeling like less of a burden now than she had felt when Kagome and Shippo left her to help Inuyasha.

"Would you like me to teach you how to use Shikigami in a fight?" Kakuju asked Kaname.

"Sure!" she replied.

* * *

"Do you think you have it now?" Kakuju asked after he was finished. During the past half hour, he had taught her one technique: a fire-based Shikigami called Raging Flame.

"I'm still a bit uncertain, but I think I got it," Kaname replied.

"That's good for now," Kakuju assured her. "You'll be able to completely control it soon. As you gain more experience and learn to use your power effectively, now only will you be able to weild it when you fight, but you will also learn the different uses for Shikigami."

"Really?"

"Really. You should go now. I'm sure we'll meet again," Kakuju replied.

"Okay. Thank you, Grandpa Kakuju," Kaname said, bowing.

"We really should get going. Let's go back to Kaede's village to get some rest," Kagome said. Kaname nodded.

"Bye. Thanks again for all you help," she said.

"You're very welcome. Good luck to all of you," Kakuju replied as the group left.

* * *

_Back in Kaede's Village..._

"We're back, Kaede," Kaname said when they entered the old preistess's house.

"So you have. Did you find any clues?" Kaede asked.

"No, but Kaname did learn how to use the Shikigami power! Just when we were about to get killed, Kaname saved us with her power!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Shippo..." Inuyasha growled warningly.

"It's nothing. I just freed everyone from the web and that's all. I have a lot to learn, or I'll be a burden to everyone," Kaname said, blushing a bit.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Kaname. Mastering any kind of power takes time and effort," Kaede advised her. Kaname nodded.

"You must be tired, so it would be best to get some rest," Kaede said to the group.

"Now that you mention it, I am a little sleepy," Shippo said, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, good night, Kaede," Kagome said, walking a little further into the house. The others followed.

* * *

It was about the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep...Save for a certain Shikigami novice. She was standing outside Kaede's house, stargazing.

Kaname dwelled on the knowledge that this really was Feudal Japan, an era were demons and magic abound. In other words, Feudal Japan was _nothing_ like she had ever dreamed of.

Thinking about that reminded her of a conversation she and Harumi had...

_"Hey, Kaname. If there was any era in time you would go to, when would it be?" Harumi asked her. The two friends were sitting in class._

_"Um...I never thought about that. I like it in this time," Kaname replied._

_"Really? Personally, I would want to go to the Feudal Era! Samurai, daimyo...Not to mention all the awesome fables that came from that period!" Harumi exclaimed, eyes glittering._

_Kaname sweatdropped. She was about to say something, but the teacher came in, starting the class._

Kaname smiled, remembering her reaction to when Kagome told her it was the Feudal Era she had been transported to.

_I really didn't know what to do when Kagome told me that I was in the Feudal Era, _she remembered. _But I managed to make some friends here, and I had learned a power I never could have learned in the present. So I might be able to get through this._

Smiling, she went back inside the house and went straight to sleep.

* * *

What'd you think?

Remember, good review are to love and happiness as flames are to hatred/sadness.


	8. Cooking with Kagome

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

Oh, c'mon! You didn't honestly think I would leave out the intervals, did you?! Gimmie a break!

On with the fic!

* * *

"Hey, Inuyasha! What do you say we take the day off today?" Kagome asked the next morning. The group was still in Kaede's house, finishing off noodles and tempura.

"The day off?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.

"Kaname must be tired, because everything is so new to her. Besides, it's been a while since we've been allowed to have fun," Kagome replied.

"I agree!" Shippo said, nodding enthusiactically.

"Sounds good," Kaname agreed, causing Inuyasha to groan.

"I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up," a voice said.

"Myoga?" Inuyasha asked, recognising the voice. Sure enough, the flea demon was standing at Inuyasha's feet.

"Long time no see, Master Inuyasha," Myoga greeted. "I do agree with Kagome's suggestion, but there are still demons around. We should make teams before we take off, just in case."

"Myoga's right. We don't want to get into any trouble," Kagome said.

"So, let's make teams of two and go about our way," Shippo suggested.

"What do you think, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"Well...Sure, why not?" he replied.

"All right, it's decided! Who do you want to go with, Kaname?" Kagome asked her.

"Um...I think I'll go with you, Kagome," she replied.

"Okay!" Kagome said, nodding.

"It's such a nice day. I think I'll go train," Inuyasha said, walking out of the house.

"Me too!" Shippo said, following.

"So what do you want to do today, Kagome?" Kaname asked.

"I was thinking of making a little something for everyone. Can you get some things for me while I prepare?" Kagome asked.

"Sure!"

* * *

"Kagome, I brought some potatoes and onions! I got some carrots, too," Kaname said, arms full of the veggies that Kagome had asked for.

"Thanks, Kaname. Do you think you can help me out with this now?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah. Are you making a bento box?" Kaname asked, looking over Kagome's shoulder.

"Yeah. Knowing Inuyasha, we'll be traveling pretty far tomorrow," Kagome replied. The two girls giggled.

"Wow, you're really good at this!" Kaname exclaimed after they had calmed down.

"Months of traveling can do that. Hey, why are you standing there? Get cooking!" Kagome snapped.

"You got it, boss!"

* * *

"Hey, Kaname. Your last name is Kururugi, right?" Kagome asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, yes," Kaname replied.

"Is that the shrine family with the doll festival?" Kagome asked.

Kaname nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"I knew your last name sounded familiar! Grandpa always told me about the doll festival for wishes at the Kururugi shrine!" Kagome exclaimed.

Kaname sweatdropped a little. Was that the only reason Kagome asked?

"I come from a shrine family too," Kagome elaborated. "So my grandpa feels it nessessary to tell me about the shrine festivals that take place in Tokyo."

Kaname mentally kicked herself at this. Her father had told her time and time again about the Higurashi family and their exorisms.

"I know how that feels. My dad does that, too," she finally said.

* * *

"Hey, Kagome. Do you have any younger siblings, by any chance?" Kaname asked.

"Why?" Kagome asked in return.

"You're really good at cooking, so I thought you might have had to babysit a couple of times to get the hang of it," Kaname replied.

"Oh, I see. Yes, I do have a little brother. His name's Souta and he's a bit of a handful. He's in sixth grade now."

"I see..."

"What about you? Do you have any siblings?" Kagome asked.

"Actually, I have a twin brother. His name's Michiru, and he's ten minutes older than me," Kaname replied.

"Oh...Is this the new employee at the movie theatre?"

"Well, Michiru did mention getting a job there..." Kaname replied.

"I think I've seen him while he was working there. My friends and I whenever I manage to get the chance. I think my friend Ayumi has a crush on him," Kagome said.

"He is pretty popular with the girls. Just ask him and he'll tell you about all the love notes he's gotten," Kaname said, remembering all the love notes Michiru would carry home on Valentine's Day.

"What about you? Have you ever gotten any love notes?" Kagome asked.

"A couple. But they were all from secret admirers, and I couldn't find out who they were from," Kaname replied.

"You're lucky you get normal things. I get health products from my admirer," Kagome said, earning her a skeptical look from Kaname.

"My family knows about me going back and forth from the Feudal Era to the present. And Grandpa has an entire book on diseases he could use as excuses," Kagome explained.

"Oh..." Kaname trailed off. Everything was silent.

"So! Um...You want to peel the potatoes?" Kagome said.

"Okay," Kaname replied.

* * *

"We're done!" Kagome exclaimed a couple of hours later.

"Finally!" Kaname said, slumping.

"Have you ever cooked before?" Kagome asked curiously.

"No, I haven't. My mother usually does all the cooking," Kaname admitted.

"Oh..."

* * *

The two girls chatted after that until Inuyasha and Shippo had come back. The group ate a good dinner and went to sleep.

The next morning, the group was up early.

"Okay, wait here while I get some supplies," Kagome said, going to the merchant's stand.

"Hey! Did you know that you can get the best cakes around here?"

The source of the voice was a plump young man a dark purple shirt, a dark blue sash, dark blue pants, and sandals.

"What a large person," Kaname said under her breath.

"He's just fat!" Shippo exclaimed. Kagome, who had just finished shopping, gave Shippo a warning look.

"Um...cakes, sir? I don't really know, I've only just arrived here," Kaname addressed the young man.

"You don't know? I see. Wait a minute..." the young man said, observing Kaname's face a little. "I think I've seen you before. Where was it..."

"Uh..." Kaname said, sweatdropping. "I don't know you, but where have you seen me?"

"Um...Where was it again? Oh yes! I saw your face in Kasasagi Town!" he exclaimed. Kaname raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I've never been there before. Maybe you mistook me for someone else."

"No, I'm pretty certain. I definitely saw your face in Kasasagi Town somewhere," the villager said.

"I'm getting tired of this..." Kagome said under her breath.

"Oh, and one more thing. Can you tell Preistess Kaede that Kimbei came by? I'd do it myself, but you know what a merchant's life is, right?" Kimbei asked, walking off.

* * *

"Kimbei said he saw Kaname?" Kaede asked when they had told her of the incident.

"Yes. But I've never been to Kasasagi Town. This is the first time I've heard the name," Kaname said.

"Kimbei is a bit of a gluttonous young man, but he's not a liar."

"But..." Kaname started.

"Why don't we just go there and find out where he saw you?" Kagome asked. "There isn't that much to do anyway. A large town like that must have some stories about the Shikon Jewel shards."

"You mean the glass shards the demon spider had?" Kaname asked. Kagome nodded.

"But it's a lot to have you come with me to the town. I don't want to be a burden to you guys," Kaname said.

"You're not a burden, Kaname," Kagome said.

"Yeah! And besides, you don't know your way around here," Shippo added.

"What are you guys going on about? If we want to get to Kasasagi Town, we'd better get going now," Inuyasha snapped.

"You're going to come too?" Kaname asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Don't get me wrong. I'll do anything to find the Shikon Jewel shards," Inuyasha said. Kaname smiled.

"Thank you, guys," she said as the group got ready to go to Kasasagi Town...

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happines and love as flames are to hatred and sadness.


	9. Kasasagi Town: Meeting Utsugi

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

On with the fic!

* * *

"This is Kasasagi Town. It's one of the biggest cities around and the shopkeepers sell pratically anything," Kagome said as they reached the outskirts of the town.

"You think they sell any juice or candy?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha scoffed.

"Why would they sell anything like that?" he asked. Kaname looked around in wonder.

"Look at how many people there are here! I don't think I've seen this many people, even in my school!" she exclaimed.

"We should split up and ask around," Kagome said.

"It'd probably get dark before we can ask everyone," Shippo pointed out.

"So, we ask around and meet back here?" Kaname asked.

"Right. This city is pretty big, so try not to get lost," Kagome said. The group nodded as they split up.

* * *

Kaname didn't notice the two villagers looking at the notice board until she heard someone say, "Jinkichi, how long are you going to be looking at that poster?"

"There's a wanted poster for this kid posted here!" Jinkichi yelled at his wife

"You're such a loser!" his wife exclaimed. "And we finally get to be alone together, too..."

_A kid on a wanted poster? _Kaname thought, trying to get a glance at this supposed criminal. She couldn't even get that glance because she noticed that Jinkichi was staring intently at her.

"Um...Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I've seen you somewhere before..." he muttered, causing Kaname's eyebrows to quirk up.

"Where?" she asked.

"Hmmm...Hey, wait a sec!" he exclaimed, glancing back at the wanted poster. "You're the girl from the wanted poster!" That cause Kaname's jaw to drop.

"Huh?! No, it can't..." she said, taking a look at the wanted poster. Sure enough, her own face stared back at her, in black ink.

"Guards! Come quick! The girl on the wanted poster is here!" Jinkichi exclaimed.

Almost instantly, three guards with a black shirt with white stripes, maroon pants, sandals, and white headbands made their way towards Kaname and surrounded her.

"Catch the girl!" another villager exclaimed.

"Don't let her get away!" Jinkichi added. One of the guards stepped forward and looked Kaname over, then glanced at the wanted poster.

"It really is her..." he said before turning towards Kaname. "I'm sorry, miss, but you'll have to come with us."

Another guard grabbed Kaname's arm harshly and dragged her off.

"Hey, let go!" she protested.

* * *

The guards had brought Kaname to the headman's house. They said something about being identified as the girl on the wanted poster before being thrown into prison.

Kaname observed her surroundings. There was a small pond to her left, and a wall of bamboo. From the looks of the area, Kaname would say that she was taken to an outside sitting place.

Then the headman came out. His black hair was tied in a ponytail, and he was wearing a light gray shirt, a light brown vest, brown pants, white socks, and sandals.

"Well, well. It's the girl from the wanted poster," he said.

"Just wait a minute! You're mistaking me for someone else," Kaname said. "I did nothing to put me on a wanted poster! And besides, I had only just come to this world."

"This world? What are you talking about?" the headman demanded. Kaname sweatdropped; she hadn't meant for that to slip.

"Well...My point is, I've done absolutely nothing you can throw me in jail for," she replied.

"I'm not sure, but Kagura definitely wants you captured," the headman said.

"Who's Kagura? I've never heard that name."

"Of course you wouldn't know her," the headman replied. "She's a castle messenger."

"Well, I guess she had me mixed up with someone else," Kaname said confidently.

"Have you gone mad? The castle messenger making a mistake? Impossible!" the headman snapped. "Stop your talk and wait in jail until Kagura arrives to pick you up."

The guards grabbed Kaname's arm again as they dragged her to prision.

* * *

"Behave until Kagura arrives," the guard told her as they threw her into a jail cell.

Now, if Kaname had just gotten here, she'd probably be close to crying. However, since she had gotten here a few weeks ago (it seemed), she did what anyone who had been attacked by demons day after day would do.

She sat down and thought.

_The headman said something about this Kagura person. But what would she want with me? And because she gave out the wanted poster, I'm here in jail! _she thought. Standing up, she thought, _Might as well stop complaining. I gotta get out of here somehow..._

Glancing around, she caught a slight glimmer of one of the walls. Curious, she walked towards it and felt it with her hands.

_Could this be Serpentine rock? _she thought, stepping back.

_"Change form at my call!" _she chanted, causing a ball of light to strike the wall. Sure enough, when the light faded, the wall had crumbled into ashes.

_That did it! _she thought, grinning. She looked outside the cell to see if any of the guards were watching. One was fast asleep, and the others must have been on other duties.

_Good. I gotta get back to the others, and fast, _she thought, slipping out.

* * *

It was obvious she couldn't take the easy route, because they might recapture her. Instead, she took the maze-like streets of Kasasagi Town.

About a half-hour later, she met Kagome and the others on the outskirts of the city.

"Kaname! You're safe!" Kagome exclaimed.

"You okay, kid?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes, I'm alright. I'm sorry for worrying you," Kaname said. Shippo hopped on Kaname's shoulder.

"Kaname, there are wanted posters of you everywhere! We were worried," he exclaimed.

"I know that. Because of the posters I got caught by the village guards," Kaname said.

"I had a feeling that would happen. I'm glad you made it back safe and sound," Kagome said, smiling.

"But why do you think there are wanted posters of you everywhere?" Shippo asked.

"I'm not really sure," Kaname replied. "All I know is that someone named Kagura brought them here."

That caused an immediate change in the air.

"What? Kagura?!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"You think it's _that_ Kagura?" Shippo asked.

"Do you know her? The village headman said she was a castle messenger," Kaname said.

"Do we ever! Do you remember what Shippo and I told you about the Shikon Jewel shards?" Kagome asked. Kaname put a finger to her cheek.

"Um...That's the thing that makes demons stronger if they hold it, isn't it?" she asked, getting a nod from Kagome.

"As you might expect, a lot of demons have been searching for it. There are a few people after the shards too," she said. "But the most evil of them all is a demon named Naraku. He'll take every opportunity he has to get shards of the Shikon Jewel."

"Naraku loves to bully people around," Shippo added.

"We've fought him countless times, but he escapes every time. He's the worst of them all," Inuyasha added darkly. Kaname could instantly tell he had some kind of grudge against this Naraku guy.

"I see. But what does Kagura have to do with it?" Kaname asked.

"Kagura is his female incarnation," Kagome answered.

"That means she's evil, doesn't it?" Kaname asked, already knowing the answer.

"She uses wind and summons the dead. Do disgusting powers like that sound like she's good?" Inuyasha asked.

"But what would she want with me?" Kaname asked.

"Maybe it has something to do with you being in this world. If they had to go as far as putting wanted posters of you, that might be it," Kagome said.

"It does sound like something he would do," Shippo added.

"We might as well stick around if Kagura's on her way here," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms.

"Good idea," Kaname said. "I want to get to the bottom of this soon. There might be a way I can get back if we beat them."

"So let's go to the headman's house. Do you remember where that is, Kaname?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, but we'll have to take the long route. If we take the shorter way, I might get arrested again," Kaname replied.

"Ok. Lead the way!" Shippo said.

* * *

"Well, this is it," Kaname trailed off as they approached the headman's house.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Inuyasha snapped, pushing her forward.

"All right!" Kaname snapped as she stepped forward, addressing the guard from before.

"Excuse me. We would like to see the village headman," she said. The guard's eyebrows quirked up at the sight of Kaname.

"Hey, I've seen you before..." he trailed off before it clicked. "Hey, you're the girl on the wanted poster! How'd you escape?!"

"Oh no, I'm going to be captured again!" Kaname lamented.

"Let's escape to the outskirts for now!" Shippo said as the group ran off, the guard chasing them.

* * *

"Thank goodness we lost him!" Kaname exclaimed, leaning on the small shrine.

"Dammit! Why do I have to run away all the time?!" Inuyasha fumed.

"He was only human, Inuyasha. It's not like you could have done anything," Kagome reminded him.

"You're right, but..." Inuyasha trailed off.

"It doesn't look like we'll be able to meet Kagura," Shippo finished for him.

"Hmmm..." Kaname said thoughtfully. "Why don't you pretend to turn me in?"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, surprised.

"From what I've seen, if you say that you caught me, you can have easy access to the headman's house," Kaname elaborated.

"Oh, so if we pretend we're from here, and we recognized you from the wanted poster, we'll be able to get in, no sweat!" Shippo exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Right," Kaname said, nodding.

"Sounds a bit risky," Shippo said.

"Yes, a plan like that could be dangerous," Kagome agreed.

Inuyasha nodded, showing that he agreed also.

"But..." Kaname said when Inuyasha got an idea. He turned towards Shippo.

"Hey, Shippo!" he said. "Why don't you just transform yourself into Kaname?"

"What?!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Wait a sec..." Kaname protested.

"Even if they tie Shippo up and throw him in jail, he can get out if he has to," Inuyasha said.

"No fair! How come I'm the one who gets the wost end of the deal?" Shippo complained.

"Great idea, Inuyasha! Nobody can see through Shippo's disguises!" Kagome exclaimed.

"There's nobody here but you who can do this," Inuyasha added.

"R-really?" Shippo said.

"Please, Shippo?" Kaname asked. Shippo thought for a minute.

"Okay, I'll do it!" he said, getting a small leaf and putting it on his head. Smoke surrounded the fox demon.

* * *

"Wow! A perfect transformation! You look exactly like her!" Kagome exclaimed. In Shippo's place stood Kaname.

The real Kaname came out from behind the shrine. She was wearing a green shirt and green pants over her regular clothes. Where Kagome had gotten this outfit, Kaname would never know.

"This feels kinda odd," she said, observing Shippo. It was like staring into a mirror.

"Really? Then nobody will be able to see through my magic?" Kaname's clone asked in Shippo's voice.

"Now you're scared?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically.

Shippo took a few steps away from the rest of the group, saying, "I'm not scared! Let's go!"

Kaname sweatdropped. It was odd enough that Shippo had turned into an exact duplicate of her, but it was a little weirder to hear Shippo's voice coming out from her mouth.

* * *

"Good luck, Shippo!" Kaname told her look-alike. The group was at the gate to the headman's house again.

"You should stay here for now, Inuyasha," Kagome suggested. Inuyasha had a right mind to protest. Instead he scoffed.

"Fine. But be sure to call me if anything happens," he said, walking off.

"Why doesn't INuyasha transform himself?" Kaname asked.

"He can't do it as well as Shippo can," Kagome replied.

"He's only a hanyou - a half-demon," Shippo said.

"Yes, Inuyasha would probably get caught if he did it. It's probably better this way," Kagome said.

"I see," Kaname agreed. They walked forward, with Kaname turning around and hiding behind Kagome.

"This is the headman's house," the guard said crossly. "What do you want?"

"I found the girl on the wanted poster and came to turn her in," Kagome replied, gesturing towards the Kaname duplicate. The guard looked the suplicate over, nodding.

"It's the girl on the wanted poster. Come inside, and wait by the white sand," he instructed, walking away.

"That wasn't so hard," Kagome said, smiling.

"It's all because of my acting!" Shippo bragged. Kaname smiled.

"Great job, Shippo! You had them tricked," she said. Shippo grinned.

"Oh, yeah!" he gloated as they went in.

* * *

When they went in the grounds, Kaname stopped in her tracks, hearing some buzzing.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, noticing Kaname stop.

"I'm starting to hear something strange," Kaname replied. Just then, they saw what appeared to be a large wasp with red eyes, a maroon head, a purple body, a dark yellow thorax with black stripes, and a red stinger.

"Saimyosho!" Kagome exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Saimyosho? What are they?" Kaname asked.

"Naraku uses bugs like the one we saw. They're called Saimyosho," Kagome replied. "If they're here, Kagura must have arrived."

"It's definitely the Kagura we're after," Shippo said.

"If the Saimyosho are here, that also means we've been found out," Kagome said.

"Probably..." Shippo said, changing back to his original form.

Just then, two salamander demons appeared, surrounding the group. They had red robes, purple sashes, pink pants, and black caps.

"They found us!" Shippo exclaimed fearfully. Inuyasha then ran in, drawing a sigh of relief from the others in the group.

"I saw the Saimyosho flying, so I have right away. It was just as I thought," he said. "Bring it on!"

* * *

"Those demons were no match, but it's no use sticking around if the Saimyosho are here," Inuyasha said.

"Yes. The Saimyosho act as Kagura and Naraku's eyes," Kagome said.

"So does that mean Naraku and Kagura know we're here?" Kaname asked. The green outfit was now under her arm, as she had taken it off after the demon fight.

"Yes. So all we can do is get ourselves into the headman's house, and fast," Kagome said.

"It seems dangerous, but..." Kaname trailed off.

"Watch out, Kagura! You'd better get out of the way!" Inuyasha yelled, starting to walk off.

"He seems pretty excited," Shippo said.

"He does loves to fight," Kagome said. They were about to follow when they heard someone shout, "Help me!"

Kaname recognized that voice immediately.

"That was the village headman!" she exclaimed.

"He must be in danger! Let's go!" Kagome said, running towards the lake. The others (including a very reluctant Inuyasha) followed.

"Is this really the village headman?" Inuyasha asked dryly. The headman was cowering behing the nearby bench as he was surrounded by demons.

"He doesn't really deserve our help, but something doesn't feel right," Kaname said under her breath.

"We'll help you!" Kagome said, firing an arrow at one of the demons.

* * *

"Thank you so much!" the headman exclaimed when the last demon was destroyed. "I don't deserve your kindness."

"Don't worry about it. But what are you doing out here?" Kaname asked.

"That Kagura woman tricked me! I never would have guessed that she was a demon!" the headman said.

"Where is she now?" Inuyasha demanded.

"She went into the back room, just ahead. She tried to feed me to those demons," the headman replied.

"Just ahead, you say? All right, let's go!" Inuyasha exclaimed, running inside by the nearby door.

"You should hide, headman. It's pretty dangerous," Kaname suggested as the others followed.

* * *

When they entered the back room, they saw a woman with black hair in a ponytail and a pink kimono. Her back was facing them.

"I found you, Kagura!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

Kagura turned around. She had red eyes, a yellow sash tied around her waist, turquoise earrings, and two feathers tucked into her ponytail. She was holding a white fan with a red stripe.

"I thought I heard something. It was you guys," she said.

"You're Kagura, aren't you? Why are you trying to capture me?" Kaname demanded. Kagura turned towards her, smirking.

"So, you're the girl," she said.

"Are you the one who summoned me into this world? If it was, you'd better send me back or else!" Kaname threatened.

"Send you back? Interesting. Why would I do that?" Kagura asked, laughing.

"You're pathetic as always! I'll tear you apart!" Inuyasha yelled, stepping forward.

"Do your worst, mutt!" Kagura taunted. Almost instantly, two skelebirds (both bigger than her) materialized, taking Kagura's side.

"Don't waste your time on the skelebirds," Inuyasha advised "She'll only bring them back." He then swing his Tetsusaiga at Kagura.

"Dance of Blades!" Kagura yelled, waving her fan and creating white blades of wind, headed straight for Inuyasha. It managed to cut his side a bit.

"You all right, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"It's just a cut," Inuyasha assured her.

_"Turn into a sword of wrath!"_Kaname chanted, using the Raging Fire technique Kakuju had taught her. It hit Kagura's arm.

"You're going to pay for that!" Kagura snapped, aiming another Dance of Blades her way. One of the blades cut Kaname's leg.

"Shippo!" Kagome exclaimed. Shippo nodded, used Fox Fire and aimed it at Kagome's arrow.

"Hit the mark!" she exclaimed, firing the now-enchanted arrow at Kagura. It tore off a bit of her kimono. In retaliation, Kagura sent a whirlwind their way.

"You guys all right?" Kaname asked.

"I think we'll live," Kagome said, getting up.

"Take this!" Inuyasha yelled, putting his hand in his wound. He swiped it at Kagura, yelling, "BLADES OF BLOOD!" Sure enough, the blood became blades similar to the ones Kagura had made. It not only hit Kagura, but her two lackeys as well.

Kaname used Raging Fire on Kagura again. She grunted in pain and fell to her knee.

"Dammit!" Kagura exclaimed. "How could I have let this happen?!"

"Are you ready to die, Kagura?" Inuyasha asked, preparing to swing his sword when Kagome stopped him.

"What now?!" he snapped.

"We have to ask about the wanted posters, remember?" Kagome said.

"Oh, right," Inuyasha reluctantly admitted. Just then, a strange red light replaced the surroundings of the room.

"What was that?" Kaname asked. Then, everyone was attacked by an intense red light, save for Kagura.

Kaname tried to hold in a scream as she felt a burning sensation in her veins. Soon it faded.

"A Shikigami? Is that you Utsugi?" Kagura asked, almost out of surprise.

Then a figure appeared. This person was wearing a white kimono, a red vest, white pants, a red sash, and red shoes. Nobody could immediately tell if it was a boy or a girl, or even if it was human, because there was a mask covering its face. It even had a mane of blonde hair, totally covering Utsugi's identity.

"Did you say Shikigami?" Kaname asked.

_It's like mine, _she thought. _But it's bigger in size._

"Naraku sent someone to help me. Don't expect any thanks," Kagura said, standing up.

"I don't know who you are, but you'll be sorry if you get in my way!" Inuyasha snapped at Utsugi.

"Be careful. I don't think this is your ordinary demon," Kagome warned Inuyasha.

"I don't care! I'll destroy anything that gets in my way! Wind Scar!" he snapped, raising his Tetsusaiga high.

"You're wasting your time," a calm feminine voice said from behind the mask as Inuyasha released the Wind Scar. Utsugi held up her hand and repelled the attack.

"What?!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"How could it have been repelled?!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Now it's my turn. _Dance with my rage!_" Utsugi chanted, sending Inuyasha a huge blast of Shikigami power. It hit his arm, making him fall to his knees. He used his sword to support himself.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked.

"It's just a cut," Inuyasha replied. Utsugi watched the blood flow from Inuyasha's wound.

"Your wound is beautiful," she said. "It resembles the setting sun."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha snapped.

"That was the power of Shikigami, wasn't it? Who are you?" Kaname asked. Utsugi turned to face her.

"You are the girl?" she asked. Kaname blinked.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, remembering that Kagura had said the same thing.

"Kaname, get out of my way!" Inuyasha growled, trying to get up to attack Utsugi again.

"Kagura," Utsugi announced. "I've completed my mission. Good bye."

"Fine," Kagura said, taking a feather from her ponytail.

"Wait!" Inuyasha yelled as Utsugi left and Kagura flew away on her feather. The light surrounding them faded, revealing the room they were in a few minutes ago.

_I can't believe how Utsugi treated Inuyasha! It was like he was a child. But she probably knows how I got here, or how I can get back, _Kaname thought as they ran out the room, hoping to catch Kagura and Utsugi. Instead, they saw the headman.

"You defeated them!" he exclaimed. Inuyasha scoffed.

"You idiot, can't you see that they..." he started when Kagome gave him a warning glare.

"Don't be so sour. He's a victim too, remember," she reminded him.

"Thank you for understanding. I had no idea the castle messenger was a scheming demon. I am so sorry for treating you the way I did," the headman said to Kaname.

"Don't worry about it. The evil ones are Kagura and Utsugi," Kaname replied, causing the headman to smile.

"You are so forgiving! You're like an angel!" he exclaimed, causing Kaname to blush out of embarassment.

"That's taking it a little too far, don't you think?" Shippo asked.

"You really are kind, Kaname," Kagome said, smiling.

"Thanks, Kagome," Kaname said, smiling back. Then Kagome smile became a grim line.

"From what Kagura and Utsugi were saying, it seems that Naraku has something to do with you being brought into this world," she said.

"I can't believe I wasn't able to ask, even though they were right there," Kaname said, looking at the ground.

"There will be another chance, Kaname. You shouldn't give up that easily," Kagome said.

"And the chances of Naraku leaving us alone are next to zero," Shippo added.

"Next time, I'll finish the job," Inuyasha swore.

"For now we should go to Kaede's Village," Kagome suggested.

"Good idea," Kaname said as they left the headman's house.

* * *

When the group approached the gate, they heard the headman call, "Everyone, wait!" The headman caught up with them, holding something in his hand.

"What is it now?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's not much, but take this," the headman replied, handing Kaname a fat pouch. "It might help you on your journey."

"Money?" Kaname asked, looking into the pouch. There were gold coins inside.

"Wow! Look at how much there is in there! We can buy lots of sweets with this!" Shippo cheered, drooling.

"But what about..." Kaname started.

"Just take it, kid," Inuyasha said.

"It comes from good intentions. It would be rude if you refused," Kagome said. Kaname nodded.

"Okay. I will accept it. Thank you, headman," she said, bowing.

"Well, let's go!" Shippo said as the headman left.

"We should get to Kaede's village by sunup tomorrow," Kagome said thoughtfully, seeing as it was well into the afternoon.

"Well, then! Let's get going," Kaname said as they started for Kaede's Village.

* * *

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happiness and love as flames are to hatred and sadness.


	10. Shippo's Spells and Inuyasha's New Look

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

Another interval chapter! This time I'm gonna attempt something a bit different: I'm gonna combine two intervals from the game! I might do that every once in a while, since this one was a ton of fun to write. I'll still use the teams of two part, but I'll also add in another interval into the chapter.

On with the fic!

* * *

Kaname yawned as the group reached the outskirts of Kaede's Village.

"I didn't get enough sleep last night..." she complained.

"Really? I slept like a rock," Kagome said.

"You're more used to sleeping on the ground than I am. Don't forget I'm still new to this Feudal Era stuff," Kaname said.

"How could you still be new to this stuff? You've been here for weeks now!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Hey!" Kagome exclaimed before Kaname could snap back.

The reason for this was that there was a young man and a young girl there, and Kagome had recognized them.

The young man had black hair in a short ponytail, navy blue eyes, a dark blue robe with a violet sash, a violet guard on his right hand, and blue prayer beads wrapped around his right wrist and arm. He carried a staff with a six-ring gold ornament and had a ring with characters etched into it on the middle finger of his right hand.

The young girl seemed to be Kagome and Kaname's age. She had long brown hair past her waist in a low ponytail and brown eyes. She had a pink kimono with raspberry colored details, a green skirt wrap with a matching sash, a sky-blue cloth wraped around her shoulders, and sandals. She had a black outfit underneath her kimono and skirt wrap. She had a boomerang weapon slung over her back, which was bigger than the girl herself.

At the girl's feet was a small cat-like demon. It had yellow fur, red eyes, a black diamond on its forehead, black paws, and two bushy tails.

"Hey, Kagome!" The young man exclaimed as they approached the group.

"Miroku, Sango! When did you guys get back?" Kagome asked.

"A few minutes ago," the girl, Sango, replied.

"Took you long enough," Inuyasha muttered.

"Hello to you, too," Miroku said, faking hurt. "We went through a lot, too, so you shouldn't say things like that."

"Hey, who's this?" Sango asked, noticing Kaname.

"Oh, yeah! She's another girl from the present, like me," Kagome replied.

"Oh..."

"Hello," Kaname said, waving. "Are these friends of yours, Kagome?"

"Yes, this is Miroku and Sango," Kagome introduced. "Miroku's a monk who can use the power of the Bhuddist Sutras, and Sango's a Demon Slayer."

"I see...Well, my name's Kaname. It's nice to meet you!" Kaname said to the two, bowing.

"The pleasure's mine!" Miroku replied.

"Nice to meet you," Sango replied, smiling at Kaname.

"She may not look very strong, but don't let that decieve you," Shippo said to the two. "She knows how to use the mysterious power of the Shikigami!"

Miroku seemed to be thinking about something while glancing at Kaname.

"Shippo, it's nothing," Kaname replied, blushing in embarassment. Miroku approached her, smiling.

"Excuse me, Kaname is it?" he asked her.

"Uh, yes?" Kaname asked.

"Will you bear my child?" he asked, taking both of Kaname's hands in his.

"Wh-What?!" she exclaimed, stepping back a little.

"Miroku," Kagome scolded.

"Don't take him seriously, Kaname," Shippo told her. "He says that to all the girls."

"Really..." Kaname said, shock ebbing away.

"Excuse me!" Sango snapped.

"Um, yes?" Kaname asked.

"Shouldn't we tell them what we found out?" Sango said to Miroku.

"Oh, yes," Miroku replied, stepping away from Kaname, much to her relief.

"Did you find out where Naraku is hiding?" Inuyasha asked.

"Nothing specific," Miroku replied. "But there are a lot of strange occurences happening inside the castle."

"Really? What kind of things?" Kaname asked.

"You're interested, too?" Miroku asked curiously. Kaname nodded.

"Apparently Naraku has something to do with my being here," she replied.

"From what Utsugi and Kagura were saying, it seems likely," Kagome agreed.

"Who's Utsugi?" Sango asked.

"She's another Shikigami user, but she's a lot better at it than I am," Kaname replied. "When we met her, she dispelled the Wind Scar and treated Inuyasha like a child!"

"Miroku, what happened at the castle?!" Inuyasha snapped, embarassed about what Kaname had said.

"For some reason, all the cows in the castle grounds have disappeared into thin air," Miroku said. "And so have the people who have gone to pay their taxes."

"A lot of demons were seen heading towards the castle," Sango added.

"A group a demons, huh? That reeks of Naraku," Inuyasha muttered.

"So where's the castle?" Kaname asked.

"From here, it's better to go through Tsuzumi Village," Miroku replied.

"Then our first stop is to get there," Kaname said. Miroku sighed at this.

"We just got back, and we're off again already? You're such a busy girl," he complained. Kaname sweatdropped; she had forgotten that Miroku and Sango have just come back from whatever they were doing.

"I'm sorry. You two are probably tired from walking from the castle," she apologized. Miroku turned towards her again.

"Thank you for being concerned. You're very kind," he said, taking her hands in his again.

"It's not like that," Kaname denied.

"You shouldn't be shy."

"You're misunderstanding me!" Kaname exclaimed, face turning red. Sango grabbed Miroku's arm.

"Miroku, you should start preparing for the journey ahead," she snapped, dragging him off.

"Let's talk more later, Kaname," Miroku said.

_I wonder what kind of journey this is going to be, _Kaname thought, her blush ebbing away. Kaede approached the group.

"Miroku is right," she said. "Going off again after just coming back? It's best if you took a rest before going."

"That's probably a good idea," Kagome said.

"Yes," Kaname agreed as everyone went inside Kaede's house.

* * *

"What should we do now?" Kaname asked as they were eating breakfast.

"Why don't we take another day off?" Myoga asked. He was on Inuyasha's knee this time.

"The day off?" Inuyasha repeated.

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked.

"Like we did the other day," Myoga explained. "Everyone can pair off with a partner of their choice."

"Yeah, we could use a little rest after what happened in Kasasagi Town. And we want to make sure Kaname is having fun with everyone," Kagome said, smiling at Kaname.

"Good idea, Kagome. Unlike Inuyasha, you're kind and thoughtful," Miroku said to Kagome.

"What was that?" Inuyasha asked, obtaining an anime anger mark.

"Settle down, Master Inuyasha. So today will be our day off," Myoga said.

"Okay, then! I've been meaning to pick some herbs today," Kagome said, walking off.

"I'll help, too," Sango said, following her.

"I think I'll go train today," Inuyasha said.

"I'll go with you," Miroku said as the two walked off.

"I guess that leaves you and me, Shippo," Kaname said.

"Okey, let's go!" Shippo exclaimed, running off. Kaname followed.

* * *

"Shippo? Where'd you run off to?" Kaname called. She had somehow lost track of where Shippo went. Her search led her to a field when she could've sworn she saw a bushy ponytail behind a tree.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, running towards said tree. She looked behind the tree to see...Inuyasha?

"Huh? Wasn't Shippo just here? Did you see him, Inuyasha?" she asked him.

"What?" he asked.

"What do you mean, what?" Kaname asked. Then Inuyasha did a seemingly uncharacteristic thing: he burst out laughing.

"How was that?" he asked between laughs. Before Kaname could ask, he was surrounded by a familiar smoke. When it faded, a laughing Shippo stood in his place.

"I got you! You're really gullible, Kaname!" he exclaimed.

"So that was you!" Kaname exclaimed. "When you change like that all of a sudden, it's really surprising. Even though I know it's you!"

Shippo grinned, saying, "Well, what'd you think? Transforming's my favorite magical power! It looks easy enough, but it's actually pretty hard. There's a lot to it."

"A lot to it? Show me!" Kaname said, smiling. Shippo nodded.

"All right! How's this?" he said, taking the form of Kagome. Kaname looked the duplicate over.

"Yeah! No matter how many times I look, you're almost like Kagome's twin!" she exclaimed.

"Here's the next one!" Shippo said, this time turning into Miroku.

"An exact likeness!" Kaname exclaimed.

"It's hard to look like a ladies' man, but honestly, what do you think?" Shippo asked, trying to look suave.

"I guess," Kaname replied, shrugging.

"OKay, next..." he said, turning into...

"Sango! Wow!" Kaname exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Is it that impressive? Okay, now...Transform!" he said, changing into Inuyasha.

"Transform!" He turned into Kaname.

"Transform!" A shorter looking Miroku.

"T-t-transform!" A chibi version of Inuyasha.

"Shippo, your face is beet red!" Kaname exclaimed, noticing that Chibi-Inuyasha's face was red.

"Why can't I...Trans...form!" Shippo huffed, turning into a floating pink ball with stick arms. His eyes were replaced with swirls.

"I feel dizzy..." he trailed off, floating down to the ground.

"Shippo, are you all right?!" Kaname exclaimed.

"It's nothing..." he replied tiredly. "Was that interesting?"

"Very!" Kaname replied, nodding. "But you really didn't have to try that hard."

"What are you saying?" Shippo asked, turning into his original self. "I wasn't trying that hard at all."

However, his red face told another story. He really did tire himself from his transforming.

* * *

"You feel better, Shippo?" Kaname asked. Shippo was perched on her shoulder.

"I'm telling you, I wasn't tired to begin with!" Shippo snapped.

"Oh, really?" Kaname asked when she noticed something. She saw someone at a nearby tree trunk. And the two could've sworn they saw a flash of blood red.

"Is he sleeping?" Shippo asked when Kaname looked over to see Inuyasha taking a nap.

"I think so. Like a rock, in fact," Kaname replied, waving her hand in front of Inuyasha's face. Then she got an idea...an _evil_ idea! Seeing Inuyasha like this reminded her of a prank she always wanted to try. Aoi always used it on Michiru whenever he caught the elder Kururugi asleep.

Giggling to herself, she got out a black marker.

"What's that for?" Shippo asked.

"You'll see!" Kaname exclaimed, drawing something on Inuyasha's face. When she was done, she moved aside so Shippo could see.

"_Et voila!_ My masterpiece!" she exclaimed. There were several doodles on the sleeping hanyou's face. It was all Shippo could do not to burst laughing.

"I say it serves him right for hitting me all those times, and for being a stick in the mud," he snickered.

Inuyasha then stirred, opened one eye, and saw that the two were giggling.

"What are you laughing about? Did you eat something weird?" he asked. The two sweatdropped; They hadn't expected him to wake up.

"Well..." Shippo started.

"It's just that..." Kaname started when she thought of something.

"Your ears...they're so soft!" she exclaimed, grabbing Inuyasha's ears and rubbing them.

"If that's all, then go away!" he snapped, getting up and walking off.

Kaname and Shippo waited until he was out of eyesight (and earshot) and burst out laughing.

"H-How long do you think it'll take him to realize that I was lying?" Kaname asked.

"Not sure," Shippo replied.

* * *

Later that day (More specifically, about two hours later), everyone was trying to hold in their laughter while eating dinner. Even Miroku was amused. Why, you ask? Inuyasha still hadn't noticed that Kaname had scribbled on his face.

"What are you giggling about? Did I scratch myself on the the face or something?" Inuyasha asked, causing Shippo and Kaname to crack up.

"I assume you two had something to do with Inuyasha's new look?" Miroku asked, chuckling. The two couldn't help but nod.

"New look? What are you talking..." Inuyasha asked when he saw his reflection on the nearby cup of water. He obtained an anime anger mark when he saw the black swirls on his face.

"Kaname...You said you and Shippo had something to do with this?" he growled.

Sweatdropping, Kaname and Shippo backed away, then broke into a run, with Inuyasha close behind. Then Kagome, Sango, and Miroku started to laugh.

I can only tell you two things: One, Kaname never had to run as far in her life as she had to today.

Two, when she and Shippo finally suffered Inuyasha's wrath (a bonk on the head for Shippo and a death threat for Kaname), they went to Kaede's house and went straight to sleep.

* * *

About this chapter, I couldn't resist using Shippo's transforming interval and Inuyasha's nap interval. It seemed funny.

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happiness and love as flames are to hatred and sadness


	11. Tsuzumi Village

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue.

On with the fic!

* * *

"It looks like you've rested enough," Kaede commented the next morning.

"Yeah. We're going to Tsuzumi Village now," Kaname said as everyone was packing for the journey ahead. Kaede grabbed a bundle and gave it to Kaname.

"I don't want to be adding to your baggage, but it would be wise to take this with you," she said as Kaname saw that the soft bundle was actually clothes.

"A pair of old-fashioned pants?" she questioned, holding the red pants up.

"I wore them when I was young," Kaede replied. "It will be a long journey, so a change of clothes should come in handy."

"Kaede's right," Kagome said. "We don't know what's ahead. You might have to disguise yourself again."

Kaname nodded, saying, "Okay. I will take them. Thank you, Kaede." She bowed and gave the outfit to Kagome, who stuffed it into her bag.

"Be careful. Goodbye," Kaede told everyone as they left.

"Bye," Kaname replied, leaving last.

A few minutes later, they had come across a row of three statue shrines. Standing in front of them was Kakuju.

"Grandpa Kakuju!" Kaname exclaimed. He turned towards the group.

"We meet again," he greeted, when he remembered something. "Oh, yes, that's right. There's something I wanted to give you," Kakuju said, pulling something out. It was a gold talisman in the shape of a pentagram hanging on a black cord. He handed to Kaname.

"That monk should be able to help you make good use of it. Go ahead and show him," Kakuju said. Kaname complied and Miroku eyed it curiously.

"A talisman..." he trailed off. Kakuju nodded.

"I added a little magic to it, too. It should help you when you fight together," he said. Kaname nodded as Miroku bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Kakuju," he said.

"You're welcome. I must be on my way. Bye for now!" Kakuju replied, walking in the direction the group had walked from.

* * *

"Ow!" Kaname exclaimed, hopping on her left foot to sit on the nearby rock.

"You okay, Kaname?" Kagome asked.

"I think I stepped on a thorn," Kaname replied, and sure enough, a large thron was protruding out of her shoe. Miroku instantly stepped up and examined it.

"Oh, no. there's a thron on your foot," he said. "Let me get it out."

"You don't need to do..." Kaname said, sweatdropping. She noticed that Sango had turned away, obviously crossed.

"There you go, Kaname. Good as new!" Miroku said, having taken the thorn from Kaname's foot and throwing it away.

"Let's go on," Sango deadpanned, walking ahead.

* * *

"Wow! The water's really beautiful here!" Kaname exclaimed as they went over a bridge. Underneath was, as you would have guessed, was a river.

"We should take a short rest. We've been walking for hours," Kagome suggested, sitting at the edge of the bridge.

"I agree," Kaname said, sitting alongside her.

"Hey, Sango? I've been meaning to ask for a while. Is there some sort of trick to using the Hiraikotsu?" Kagome asked Sango, who had sitten next to Kagome.

"Um, yeah," Sango replied, nodding.

"Hiraikotsu? Is that the weapon that Sango uses?" Kaname asked.

"Yes, it is," Kagome asked.

"Is it made out of wood? Because it looks like it," Kaname asked Sango.

"No," Sango replied, shaking her head. "A weapon made of wood wouldn't stand a chance against demons. My Hiraikotsu is made of demon bone."

"Demon bone?!" Kaname exclaimed, shocked and impressed at the same time. "You must be pretty strong! How do you manage it?"

Miroku sat next to Kaname, saying, "If you really want to know how to use it, Sango and I can help you. You are a bit small to be using it, but with both of us helping, you'll get it in no time. Right, Sango?"

"I never said I wanted to learn..." Kaname started when she noticed Sango crossing her arms.

"Fine," the Demon Slayer huffed.

"Don't be so cold," Miroku said, frowning.

"Break's over! Let's go!" Inuyasha snapped. Kaname sighed in relief as she got up.

"Kagome, Sango doesn't like me very much, does she? Was it something I did?" Kaname asked Kagome.

"It isn't you, Kaname. Don't worry," Kagome replied. But that did nothing to soothe Kaname's uneasiness.

* * *

"We finally made it!" Shippo exclaimed as they reached the outskirts of the town.

_So this is Tsuzumi Village, _Kaname thought as she looked around. It seemed peaceful.

That is, until a villager ran towards them, screaming. He had short black hair, a moustache, a yellow and blue kimiono, a dark red vest, black pants, and a light blue bandana. He was being chased by a demon.

"Help me, please!" the village begged when he saw the group.

"A demon! Old man, hide behind us!" Sango instructed. The villager complied.

"If you get in the way, I'll eat you too!" the demon taunted.

"Just try it!" Inuyasha snapped.

* * *

"He was all talk," Inuyasha remarked as the demon withered away.

"Thank you so much," the villager said, bowing. "My name is Densuke. This area has become pretty dangerous. I was out shopping for the festival, and the next thing I knew, I was being chased. I thought I was done for."

"You're lucky we ran into you, then," Inuyasha said.

"I'm glad you're all right," Kaname said.

"Thank you so much. You must be in the middle of a journey, but you can stay at my home tonight, if you like. It's the least I can do in return for you saving my life. You're welcome to stay there," Densuke offered.

"You really don't have to do that," Kaname started.

"It would be rude if you refused," Miroku said.

"And it would be nice to sleep in a real bed for once," Kagome said.

"Kagome..." Kaname trailed off.

"If you've decided, then come with me," Densuke said, walking off. The others followed.

* * *

"This is my home. It's not much, but you are welcome to stay as long as you like," Densuke said, showing the group his home. "The rest of the highway is blocked, anyway."

"Do you mean the highway that goes to the castle?" Kaname asked, hoping she wasn't right.

Densuke nodded, saying, "Yes. All the rainfall that's been occuring has caused a landslide. So nobody can use the highway for about a month now."

"A month?!" Kaname exclaimed.

"That's rather unfortunate," Kagome said sadly.

"Unlucky indeed," Miroku said.

"You look happy, Miroku," Shippo commented, noticing Miroku's content smile.

"Not at all, Shippo," Miroku replied before turning towards Densuke. "Anyway, are there any girls my age around here?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Densuke asked curiously.

"Now I get it," Inuyasha muttered.

"I knew it," Shippo added. Kaname sighed. Seh then noticed Sango walking towards the door.

"Where are you going, Sango?" she asked.

"It looks like we're going to be here a while, so I'll just ask around for any information about the castle," Sango replied, leaving.

"You friend, Sango right? Is she a Demon Slayer?" Densuke asked curiously.

"She is," Miroku replied, nodding.

"I see. It's rare to see a Demon Slayer nowadays. I don't think I've even seen one since that incident until now," Densuke said.

"Oh, yeah! I've been meaning to ask you guys. What exactly is a Demon Slayer?" Kaname asked.

"A Demon Slayer is a person specially trained to destroy demons," Miroku explained.

"Sango lived in the Demon Slayer Village," Kagome added.

"This sounds a lot like the Ninjas," Kaname said.

"It does. But don't talk about it in front of Sango," Kagome said.

"Why not?"

Kagome's eyes softened as she replied, "Because Naraku completely destroyed Sango's village through trickery."

"What about Sango's family?" Kaname asked, her eyes softening as well.

"Well..." Kagome started.

"The only survivers are Sango and her younger brother," Miroku filled in. "Naraku took her younger brother."

"Damn you, Naraku," Inuyasha muttered. Kaname felt a twinge of sadness for Sango now.

_I never realized what she had to go through..._ she thought, sitting down.

* * *

While the group was talking about different things, Kaname didn't even notice it was sundown until Sango came back.

"I'm back," she announced. The group stood up.

"Welcome back," Miroku said. "Did you find anything?"

"No, I couldn't find that many people. Maybe they heard about Densuke being attacked and were scared," Sango replied.

"We might as well take it easy anyway, what with the highway being blocked," Miroku said.

"Exactly," Densuke said, coming in. "I've prepared your beds. Why don't you call it a day and get some rest?"

"All right. Good night," Kaname said, heading for her bed. She fell straight to sleep.

* * *

"Everyone, do you think we should take the day off today?" Miroku asked as he joined the group in eating breakfast.

"Wow! Hearing a suggestion from Miroku is rare," Myoga commented out of surprise.

"Who here thinks he found a pretty girl nearby?" Shippo asked, raising his hand. Almost instantly, Inuyasha, Kagome, Kaname, and Sango raised their hands.

"Why would you even think that?" Miroku asked, pretending to be scandalized. "It's just such a beautiful day outside."

Sango crossed her arms, glaring at the monk. Miroku nervously chuckled, sweatdropping.

"Good guess, Shippo," Inuyasha remarked.

"I think we should take the day off, too. I've been meaning to do some shopping," Kagome said.

"Me too," Shippo said, following Kagome.

"I'm going to go cool off by the river," Sango sad, standing up.

"I'll go with you," Miroku said, following Sango's lead.

"What should we do today, Inuyasha?" Kaname asked.

"It looks like there's been a lot of demons lately. I think we should go check out the woods," he replied, getting up. Kaname followed.

"You want to look for demons on our day off?" she asked skeptically.

"Do the demons have a day off?" Inuyasha deadpanned. Kaname sweatdropped at this.

"Anyway, you've gotten stronger than the last time we fought together. You'll have no problem if one or two small demons show up," he said, leaving.

"That has absolutely nothing to do with it!" Kaname complained, running after him. "You really don't know how a girl feels, do you?!"

* * *

_I hope we don't see any..._Kaname thought as the two walked through the forest.

As they got father, Kaname thought of something.

"Hey, Inuyasha?" she asked.

"What is it?" he asked, turning to face her.

"You're a half-demon, right?" Kaname asked.

"Why are you asking me that now?" Inuyasha snapped.

"It's just that...I'm not scared of you in the least," Kaname said, saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you trying to make fun of me?!" he snapped when he felt a familiar tweak on his cheek. He slapped his face to see the criminal behind it: Myoga.

"Yes. In fact, Master Inuyasha is the son of a great demon!" the flea said to Kaname. Inuyasha obtained an anime tic.

"You can't just appear like that, you idiot! It just so happens that I help humans, but really..." he started.

"He indebted to humans," Myoga told Kaname.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. Kaname giggled, then thought of something.

"What about Inuyasha's mother? Is she the demon?" she asked.

"No, that's his father. His mother was the daughter of a lord, and was very beautiful," Myoga replied.

"Shut your mouth!" Inuyasha snapped.

"It's true, isn't it?" Myoga asked, before he got squished by Inuyasha.

_No matter what Inuyasha says, he's actually like an older brother. He really is nice, _Kaname thought.

* * *

"See any yet?" Inuyasha asked, still looking around.

"Not yet..." Kaname said.

_I still don't see why we have to do this, _she thought, when she caught sight of Kagome and Shippo.

"Kagome?" she asked, catching Inuyasha's attention.

""You saw them?" he asked, following her gaze. Kagome noticed the two and waved at them.

"Inuyasha, Kaname! What have you two been doing?" she asked. The two walked towards them.

"He dragged me into looking for demons," Kaname complained.

"What is Shippo doing?" Inuyasha asked, noticing Shippo's frustrated look.

"Praticing my transformations. Don't bother me, Inuyasha," Shippo snapped.

"You're not getting any better thinking about it," Inuyasha remarked. Shippo grinned evilly.

"All right, I'll show you what I've been praticing!" he exclaimed, smoke surrounding him. When the smoke cleared, there was Chibi-Inuyasha.

"Sit! Sit!" Shippo exclaimed, throwing himself down to the ground, imitating the instances when Kagome would say the magic word.

"See? I'm just like you! Sit!" Shippo exclaimed.

Kagome and Kaname laughed upon seeing this as Inuyasha got an anime anger mark and a dark aura.

Shippo turned into his original form and ran off, knowing how short Inuyasha's temper is. Sure enough, Inuyasha chased after him.

Eventually, Shippo gestured for the two girls to be quiet as he transformed into one of the nearby statues.

Inuyasha, noticing that no Shippo was in sight, asked the girls, "Where'd he go now?"

"I'm not sure," Kaname said, giggling. "I wasn't paying attention,"

Inuyasha grunted, then noticed the additional statue in the background. He walked up to the statue and hit it on the head. Sure enough, a cloud formed around it, signifying that it was indeed Shippo.

"You really are improving," Inuyasha deadpanned.

"Shut up!" Shippo complained, rubbing the bump on his head.

"Inuyasha, **sit!**" Kagome exclaimed, still laughing. Then Inuyasha slammed into the ground, forming a small crater.

"That's not funny!" Inuyasha complained.

"Then why are we laughing?" Shippo asked, as he, Kagome, and Kaname burst into peals of laughter.

"We should get back to the village. It's almost sundown," Kagome said, walking towards Densuke's house. Kaname, Shippo, and a very embarassed, very pissed off Inuyasha followed.

* * *

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happiness and love as flames are to hatred and sadness.


	12. Kohaku

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue. Oh, and the anime Ouran High School Host Club belongs to Bisco Hatori. The only reason I'm saying that is that there will be spoilers for those who haven't read the manga. READ WITH CAUTION!!

On with the fic!

* * *

The next morning, Kaname woke up, stretching her arms.

_I slept like a log! _she thought, walking towards the main room. It was empty, save for Densuke, who was looking out the window.

"Hey, where are the others?" she asked. Densuke turned towards her.

"You're awake," Densuke said. "You must have been tired. The others already went to gather information and such. They said you should do the same when you woke up."

_How_ _embarassing! _she thought, blushing a bit.

"All right, I'm going now. See ya, Densuke," she said, walking out.

* * *

Sango was right: Not many people were up and about. Kaname could only ask a couple of people, only to get the same answers. Pretty much everything Miroku and Sango told them, and that the highway was blocked.

Kaname soon found herself in the spot where the group had met Densuke. She took the other path and soon came upon a clearing.

She tensed when she saw the skelebird. What made her gasp was that a boy was being cornered by said demon. He had brown hair tied into a ponytail resembling Shippo's, brown eyes, and freckles on his nose. His outfit was pretty much very similar to Sango's, excet that his armor plates were gold instead of pink, and the trim was turquoise.

"What a tasty-looking human!" the demon exclaimed, advancing towards the boy.

"You're so scared, you're frozen stiff. How about this: If you try not to struggle, I'll make this as painless as I can make it," it continued, pratically drooling.

_If I don't do something, he'll eat that kid. But if I attack, I might hurt that boy, _Kaname thought. Her thoughts were interuppted by the demon screaming in...pain? She looked up and saw that the boy had taken out a sickle on a chain and had thrown it at the demon. As the demon disappeared, Kaname ran towards him.

"Are you all right?" she asked. The boy blinked before nodding.

"Yes, I'm fine," he replied.

"That's good. But why didn't you run away?" she asked. She was answered by a small meow. A calico cat was standing at the boy's feet.

"A cat! Is that why you didn't run?" she asked.

"Yes," the boy replied, nodding again.

"That's really nice of you. If it was me I would've run off without thinking of the cat," Kaname admitted. "That's a cool weapon," she continued.

"You mean this?" he asked, holding up his weapon. "It's called a Kusarigama."

"Can I see?" Kaname asked. The boy nodded, handing it to Kaname. She nearly stumbled at the weight of it.

"It's pretty heavy," she commented, giving it back to him.

"That's because it's a little different from the usual ones," he replied. Kaname blinked.

"Really? How so?" she asked.

The boy didn't answer, causing Kaname to sweatdrop.

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry. So are you from here?" she asked.

"I got here three days ago," the boy replied, shaking his head.

Then the cat started to wander away. The boy noticed and said, "Oh, the cat. I gotta go. See you later!"

"Okay. By the way, what's your name. Mine is Kaname," she said.

"I'm Kohaku," he replied, following the cat.

* * *

_I hope Kohaku doesn't leave soon, _Kaname thought, walking towards the square. _I could introduce him to Kagome and the others._

The first thing she saw was the wooden tower. On closer inspection, she saw that there was a ladder leading up to a large drum.

"What's that for?" she asked. A nearvy villager heard her and replied, "That drum has been passed down from generation to the next. When it's festival time, we play it to ward off evil sprits."

"Really? Who will be playing?" she asked.

"I am! I can't wait!" he exclaimed enthusiactically.

Kaname smiled, looking around. She saw Sango standing at the edge of the nearby lake, looking at flowers. She walked towards said lake and approached the Demon Slayer.

"Hi, Sango. What are you doing?" she aksed. Sango turned towards her.

"Hi, Kaname," she greeted. "I was just looking at the flowers over here. These were my brother's favorite." She gestured to the cluster of flowers behind her.

"I see..." Kaname trailed off. Sango's eyes softened as she frowned.

"So the others told you about my past?" she asked. Kaname nodded, looking out at the lake decorated with lilies and lily pads.

"My brother was so kind. Before Naraku attacked us, I used to think he didn't belong in Demon Slayer Village. He hated to fight, but he loves animals and flowers," Sango said, facing the flowers again. Kaname turned towards her.

"He sounds like he was a good brother," she said.

"He was," Sango confirmed, nodding.

A moment of silence. Then Kaname turned towards Sango again.

"Hey, I was thinking of finding the others. Want to join me?" she asked. Sango shook her head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to stay here a while longer. You go ahead," she said softly.

"OK, then. Bye," Kaname said, walking off.

* * *

Kaname didn't keep track of where she was going until she heard Kagome say, "Hey, Kaname!"

Kagome was sitting on the bridge overlooking a stream.

"Hi, Kagome," Kaname said gloomily as she joined Kagome.

"Is something wrong? You look sad," Kagome said, noticing Kaname's glum expression.

"Oh, Sango was just telling me about her brother," Kaname replied, looking at her feet.

"I see...The reason Naraku took Kohaku is that so he could try to control Sango," Kagome told her. "He even blackmailed her into taking the Tetsusaiga. Naraku is so evil!"

_So he tried to control Sango by taking Kohaku..._Kaname thought when her eyes widened.

"What?! Did you just say Kohaku?" she asked Kagome.

"Yes, I did," Kagome replied, nodding.

_This can't be a_ _coincidence! That boy's name was Kohaku too! And his weapon and outfit are the same as Sango's! I should ask him, _Kaname thought, standing up.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Kaname said, bowing. "But I need to do something now."

"Okay. Bye," Kagome said as Kaname ran off.

* * *

When she reached the clearing, she didn't see Kohaku, but a villager with a long-sleeved white shirt, a brown vest and matching hood, green pants, a black sash, and brown boots. In his hand was a net, a fishing pole, and a spear.

"I'm no good at this," he sighed. "I caught a little sparrow that isn't even enough for dinner tonight!"

"Excuse me. I'd like to ask you something," Kaname said, bringing the fisherman out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Did you see the boy that was here before? His name is Kohaku," she replied. The fisherman nodded.

"The boy with the cat? I saw him walk off somewhere," he replied, pointing behind him.

"Thanks a lot...And I don't think you can hunt in the city," Kaname said.

"I knew it..." the fisherman said sadly, walking off. Then Kaname saw the cat sleeping by some bushes.

"Oh! There's the cat!" Kaname exclaimed. The cat woke up, stretched, and walked towards the bushes. Kaname ran towards the cat to see a trail stretching behind them.

_Another road? With the bushes, it's no wonder I didn't see it before, _she thought, going through the bushes. After following the trail, she saw a bushy ponytail.

"There's Kohaku!" she exclaimed to herself as he walked into a nearby cave.

_Where's he going? _she thought. She started to follow, but thought about going back to get at least one of her friends. It was a cave she was going into, and it was Sango's little brother she was following. If the stories were true, then wouldn't Kohaku be something of a puppet and Naraku was...

She shook the thought out of her head. The Kohaku she had met wasn't an empty shell with no soul. He destroyd the demon to protect the cat, didn't he?

Her mind made up, she went into the cave.

* * *

"That's weird. I thought he went this way," Kaname said to herself as she reached what seemed to be a dead end. The lanterns lined up on the wall were the only source of light, and the moths danced around them.

She sighed and was about to go back when she heard metal hitting rock coming from behind her. Thinking it was Kohaku, she lwent further into the tunnel, only to see a villager picking at the ground. His graying hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he was wearing a pink shirt, blue pants, and sandals.

"One...Two...Three! I keep digging, and still nothing," he grumbled as he kept swinging.

"Excuse me?" Kaname asked, tapping him on the shoulder. He spun around so fast that he almost knocked Kaname over.

"Woah! Don't do that! You scared me!" he exclaimed.

"_I_ scared _you_?!" Kaname exclaimed.

"I was just surprised to see someone back here," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I thought I was the ony one who knew about this back road."

"Back road, you say? Does it lead to the castle?" Kaname asked. The old man slapped his hand over his mouth.

"Oops, I said too much," he said sadly. Kaname grinned; There was another way to the castle!

"That's great! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she said.

"Good," he said, nodding. "If too many people come here, I might not find my treasure."

"Good luck with that," she said. Then she blinked, remembering why she was in the cave in the first place.

"Did you see someone walk by here?" she asked. The old man thought for a minute, than shook his head.

"You haven't? He must've gone the other way then. Okay, bye," she said, walking the other way.

* * *

_At least I found another road to the castle. The others will be happy about that, _Kaname thought when she saw someone.

"Oh, Kohaku!" she exclaimed. Sure enough, the boy turned around to face her.

"Kohaku, do you have a sister named Sango?" she asked.

"What?" Kohaku asked, blinking. That name...It sounded so familiar, and yet...

_'Kohaku, capture that girl.'_

"Kohaku?" Kaname asked when she saw that his eyes took a dull amber color. She gasped when she saw he was reaching for his Kusarigama. He threw it at her. Kaname dodged, but the sickle managed to cut her leg.

"Kohaku, stop it! Don't you remember me?" she asked, wincing at the pain on her leg. Kohaku didn't reply, and was about to strike again when a boomerang-like weapon missed him by inches and embedded itself on the nearby rock.

"Sango?" Kaname asked. Sure enough, Sango ran in, dressed in her Demon Slayer attire. With her was a huge demon that resembled Kirara.

"Stop it, Kohaku!" Sango pleaded. Just then, Kaugra walked in.

"You're useless!" she snapped at Kohaku.

"You're Kagura!" Kaname exclaimed. Kagura turned towards her, smirking.

"How nice. You remember me," she remarked.

"What do you want?" Kaname snapped.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the one doing anything. Isn't that right, Demon Slayer?" Kagura replied, aiming her question towards Sango.

"You cheater!" Sango snapped, hand flying towards her blade.

"Kohaku will capture this girl, so you stand there and watch," Kagura taunted. "I suggest you don't do anything you'll regret. Kohaku's life is in the balance."

"Why you..." Sango growled, gritting her teeth as she tightened her grip on her sword.

Kagura turned towards Kohaku, saying, "All right, hurry up and get her." Kohaku nodded and advanced towards Kaname.

"I'll never forgive you for this!" Kaname snapped, struggling to get up. The wound Kohaku had given her hurt more than she thought it would.

"You don't get it, do you?" Kagura exclaimed, laughing. "If you try to resist, Kohaku will die!"

"What should I do?" Sango said to herself.

Kaname was thinking the same thing. She couldn't allow herself to be captured by Kohaku, and yet, if she does resist, Kohaku will die.

She noticed a large boulder jutting out above Kagura and Kohaku's heads. With the lantern lights, she thought she saw a certain glimmer...

_Is that Serpentine rock? _Kaname thought hopefully. Not willing to pass this chance up, she held out her right hand.

_"Change form at my_ _call!" _she chanted, sending a rush of fire towards the rock. Kagura ducked, thinking the attack was meant for them. When she saw that it wasn't, she started to laugh.

"What are you aiming at?" she exclaimed, still laughing. Kaname's face flattened; it wasn't Serpentine rock, was it?

But her question was answered when a rock fell next to Kagura and Kohaku. Then, all sorts of debris fell on them.

"Dammit! I see..." Kagura said as she took Kohaku and ran off.

"Kohaku!" Sango exclaimed, running towards the falling debris. However, Kirara stopped her from making any more steps.

When the debris stopped falling, Kaname limped towards Sango.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Sango turned towards her.

"Where did Kohaku go?" she asked frantically. Kaname looked around, seeing that she and Sango (plus Kirara) were the only ones here.

"I think Kagura took him," she replied, causing Sango to frown.

"I see..." she said sadly. "He's gone."

Kaname frowned. Technically, it was her fault Kohaku and Kagura got away; If she hadn't struck the Serpentine rock...Even though it was the only way for her not to be captured without killing Kohaku...

"I'm sorry, Sango," she said, bowing.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," Sango replied.

"But can I ask you something? How'd you get here?"

"A fisherman told me you were looking for Kohaku."

Kaname blinked, remembering the fisherman she had talked to before going into the cave.

"He told me you went alone, so...I'm really sorry. I couldn't do anything when Kohaku was trying to attack you," Sango said, looking at the ground.

"Don't worry about it. Of course you couldn't do anything. Kohaku's your brother. Trust me, if this situation was reversed, I..." Kaname trailed off. Come to think of it, what _would_ she do if Michiru was controlled by Naraku?

"But if something had happened to you, I..." Sango started.

"Don't worry about it anymore. It's in the past, isn't it?" Kaname asked. Sango opened her mouth to say something, but instead she nodded.

"Right. Bu why did you go by yourself?" she asked.

"Why?" Kaname echoed. Now that she thought of it, she probably didn't have a good reason at all.

"Everyone told you about how Kohaku was being controlled by Naraku, didn't they? So why?" Sango asked, taking her Hiraikotsu.

"Well...I think it's because when I met Kohaku, he was normal. He destroyed a demon to protect a cat. And while the others did tell me about your brother, they never mentioned his name," Kaname replied.

"Well, you shouldn't do things by yourself anymore. We're a team, aren't we?" Sango asked. That question struck somehing in Kaname. Before, she had felt she was something of a burden because she was still new when it came to fighting, much less with Shikigami. Tears started leaking out of her eyes.

"Sango...Thanks a lot. That makes me so happy," she managed to get out. Sango noticed the wound on Kaname's leg.

"What happened to your leg?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Kohaku managed to do that before you came in," Kaname replied, confirming Sango's suspision. "But I think he wasn't in control of his actions. Was that Naraku?" Sango nodded grimly.

"Let me see your wound," she said. Kaname sat on a nearby rock as Sango inspected the injury.

"It doesn't look that deep. Did you learn some healing Shikigami yet?" Sango questioned. Kaname thought for a minute, than remembered the ability she learned on the way to Tsuzumi Village.

_"Give me your blessing," _she silently chanted as small blue balls of energy surrounded the injury.

"There. I think that stopped the bleeding," Kaname said, still feeling pain on her leg.

"You should take it easy. Here, you should ride on Kirara. We're going back to Densuke's house," Sango said, gesturing towards Sango's companion.

"K-Kirara?" Kaname stammered, shocked. Wasn't Kirara...smaller? She then shook the thought out of her head; After fighting demons, why was this such a surprise?

With a bit of struggle, Kaname got on Kirara and they were on their way.

"Oh, yeah!" Kaname remembered. "There's a back road that leads to the castle!"

"Really?" Sango asked, smiling. "That's a relief. Let's go tell them, and fast."

* * *

"And what were you two doing?" Inuyasha asked when the two girls came back. Sango was back in her regular outfit. Next to her was Kaname, who was sitting next to Kagome while the black-haired schoolgirl inspected the wound on her leg.

"We were worried. You disappeared so suddenly," Shippo pointed out.

"And Sango, who went to look for you, didn't come back," Miroku added.

"Sorry for worrying you. We were just..." Kaname started when Sango gave her a 'Don't' look.

"...Exploring," she finally said.

_Well, it's not a complete lie,_ she thought.

"Anyway, we're glad you guys are safe," Kagome said, finishing wrapping Kaname's wound.

"Looks like you'll need to rest that leg for a bit," she told Kaname, who nodded.

"We're sorry," Kaname said. Miroku noticed that throughout this conversation, Kaname had not wiped the smile off her face.

"You look pretty happy. Did something good happen?" he asked.

"Not really," Kaname replied. Miroku smiled.

"Why don't you tell me? We don't have any secrets between us. We're friends, aren't we?" he asked, sitting between Kaname and Sango.

"Miroku, watch it. Sango might get offended," Kagome scolded.

"But I don't get offended," Sango said.

"Of course, I was worried about Sango, too," Miroku said, causing Sango to smile.

"Honestly, Miroku?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, I was," Miroku replied, smiling back at her. Sango turned her face away from Miroku to prevent him from seeing her blush.

"Why are you blushing, Sango?" Shippo asked. Kaname blinked.

"Kagome," she whispered to her friend. "Does Sango like Miroku?"

"Yes," came Kagome's reply.

Just then, Miroku reached out his right hand and placed it right on Sango's...bum. She shivered at the touch.

"Miroku," she growled, a dark aura forming around her. "Why are you touching me?"

Miroku nervously chuckled as he started to back away. But he could not escape the wrath of a pissed-off Demon Slayer. She slapped him right on the face, leaving a red handprint.

"Why is he always like this?" Shippo asked.

"Sango's getting into a bad mood again," Inuyasha said. Kaname's eyes widened.

_I see! Sango was treating me like that before because Miroku was giving me so much attention! _she realized. _It's not that she doesn't like me._

She smiled at this realization, then she remembered something.

"Oh, yeah! There's a road that leads to the castle!" she exclaimed, getting everyone's attention.

"Really?!" Inuyasha asked.

"You can get there from a cave on the outskirts of the village," Sango confirmed.

"That's great!" Kagome exclaimed.

"We should get some rest first. Even with that road, I'm sure it'll be a long way to the castle," Miroku suggested, going to bed. Everyone followed.

* * *

"Good morning!" Kaname greeted, joining the others for breakfast.

"Do you think we should take the day off?" Sango asked.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked.

"I agree with Sango. It's a great day today, and Kaname's leg needs to heal a little more," Kagome replied, causing Kaname to blush.

"Kagome, it doesn't hurt anymore, I swear!" she exclaimed, sweatdropping.

"Better safe than sorry. I was thinking of getting some medicinal herbs, anyway," Miroku said, getting up.

"I'll go with you. I've been meaning to get some more stuff for the journey ahead," Kagome said, following the monk.

"I think I'll take a nap," Inuyasha said, walking out.

"I'll go too," Shippo said, following Inuyasha.

"No tricks, Shippo," Kaname warned as the fox demon left the room, leaving Kaname and Sango.

"What do you want to do today, Sango?" Kaname asked.

"Well, I'm going to polish my blade. Do you want to watch?" Sango asked. Kaname nodded.

* * *

While Sango was polishing her katana, Kaname was actually focused not on the sword, but her companion's long hair. Kaname had always envied Sango for having such pretty hair.

"Kaname? Is something wrong?" Sango asked, noticing that Kaname was still spaced out.

"I'm sorry. It's just that...your hair is beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Sango asked, toying with a strand of her hair. "That's pretty sudden. Is it really?"

"Yes. I mean, it's so long, but still soft and shiny. I know a lot of girls - Including me - who would kill for that kind of hair," Kaname replied.

"I guess. Thanks," Sango said, gettting back to polishing her katana.

Kaname smiled and got something out of her backpack. What was this thing, you ask? Well...

Sango felt a hand tugging at her hair. And since she and Kaname were the only ones in the room...

"Hey, K-Kaname! What're you doing?" she asked.

"Something good!" Kaname replied, putting hair clips into Sango's hair. "Don't move."

A half hour later...

"Sango? Is that you?" Kagome asked when she came into the room.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Kaname asked, holding Sango's hair into a bun. Sango was looking into a mirror at the results of her hair being, well...Kaname-fied.

"This is stupid. I don't think it suits me," Sango replied, blushing from all this attention.

"Are you nuts? Of course it suits you!" Kagome exclaimed. "You look like a geisha doll!"

"Yes! When Miroku sees you with this hairstyle, he will surely fall in love," Kaname said, causing Sango's eyes to widen.

"That's stupid! Why'd you say that?" she exclaimed, blushing ten shades of red.

* * *

Later...

"Oh, Kagome! I almost forgot," Kaname said, getting something out of her backpack. The something turned out to be a volume of _Ouran High School Host Club._

"Here's the volume of _Ouran_ I borrowed from you last night," she said, giving the manga to Kagome.

"You read it already? Did you like it?" Kagome asked, sitting down next to Kaname. Sango and Kagome decided to switch partners for the day; Sango wanted to train, and Kagome wanted to take a break from picking herbs.

"It was really good! What was your favorite part?" Kaname replied.

"Around here," Kagome said, pointing to a certain part in the manga. Kaname blinked.

"I see! When Kaoru tells Haruhi he loves her!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's kinda sad, though, that he's giving Haruhi up for Hikaru's sake, but I can't help being jealous," Kagome said.

"You like to daydream about love a lot, don't you?" Kaname asked, smiling at Kagome's expression.

"When you say that, it makes it sound like I'm an idiot!" Kagome exclaimed. Kaname laughed.

"Don't worry about it, it's alright! You're a romantic!" she said.

"Stop making fun of me!" Kagome pouted. Kaname laughed even more.

The next morning...

"We're leaving," Kaname told Densuke as the group packed their things.

"All right. Don't be strangers, now," Densuke said as the group left.

"Bye, Densuke," Kagome said as they left for the cavern.

* * *

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happiness and love as flames are to hatred and sadness.


	13. Kazanna

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue. (smiles)

Sorry it took so long to update. I had a major (forced) hiatus. In other words, I was grounded for quite some time. And, since school opens in a few days, expect a considerate gap of time between updates. Just a fair warning.

On with the fic!

* * *

Kagome stretched her arms as the group got out of the cave.

"Hallelujah! I thought we'd never get out!" she exclaimed, grinning.

Kaname winced as the sunlight hit her eyes. She rubbed them as Inuyasha and the others walked out.

"I think I can see the castle tower from here," Sango said, pointing at a tower that could be seen to the group's far right.

"Well, let's go. I want to get there before nightfall," Kaname said, toying with a strand of her hair. It had been a while since she had been able to wash her hair.

"Me too. I want to sleep in a real bed," Kagome said, already dreaming about a soft matress.

"So, we'd better hurry up and get there before night comes," Sango said.

The group nodded and went on their way.

* * *

"EEEEKK!"

"What was that?" Shippo asked when the group suddenly heard a squeal. Miroku stepped forward.

"That was the voice of a young woman," Miroku said, stepping ahead of the group.

"Huh?" Kaname asked.

"Someone, please help me!" the same feminine voice begged.

"Oh..." Miroku realized. "And she's a beautiful woman at that."

"You can tell just from the voice??" Kaname asked skeptically. She had heard some pretty ridiculous things, but that took the cake.

"There's no doubt about it. Let's go," Miroku replied, going towards where the voice came.

"He sure reacts quickly when it comes to girls," Shippo remarked as they followed.

"Well, if it's a demon, we gotta fight it," Inuyasha pointed out.

"He has a point," Kagome said. Kaname sighed.

Soon the group reached a clearing, where not one, but three women were being bothered by a bat demon. The women in the middle noticed the group and looked hopefully at them.

"Travelers, I beg you! Please help us," she begged.

"Don't worry," Miroku said, putting on his suave act. "I'm here now, so everything will be all right."

Kaname blinked in a mix of astoundment and amusement.

_It really **is** a beautiful woman! _she thought. _Quick, call Ripley's!_

"This small thing? Okay, then, bring it on!" Inuyasha said, stepping forward.

Minutes later...

"It wasn't supposed to happen like that!" the demon exclaimed, flapping towards Inuyasha.

"Get away from me!" Inuyasha sapped, tearing the demon apart with his claws. The three women came out of their hiding places and approached the group.

"Greetings. My name is Yurihime, and these are Kinu and Koto, my sisters," the woman in blue said, gesturing to each assistant as she said their name. "Thank you all! If it weren't for you, we would have been eaten by now."

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I'm here now, so nothing will threaten you again," Miroku replied. Kinu and Koto walked towards him, looking the monk over.

"You must be so strong," Kinu said.

"You really are a handsome monk," Koto added.

"Oh, brother!" Inuyasha muttered, rolling his eyes.

"A small demon such as that could never be able to hurt me," Miroku boasted.

"Geez. Quit flirting and let's go. If the demon's gone, there's no need to stay anymore," Sango said.

"She's right. We're getting close to the town. Let's hurry, before nightfall comes," Kagome said.

"Wait. I'd like to show you my appreciation. Please, come to the mansion with us," Yurihime said. Miroku smiled.

"Very well, a change of plans. We would love you accompany you," he instantly replied.

"Why in the world would you want to go to this woman's house, anyway?" Inuyasha asked, already knowing the answer.

"No more distractions!" Sango reminded him.

"We will prepare you a declicious meal if you come," Yurihime offered.

At that, nearly everyone's stomachs started to growl.

"Well...Actually, we haven't eaten since last night," Kaname said sheepishly.

"Excellent. We will prepare meat, fish, and various mountain vegetables," Koto said.

"There are still many demons in the path ahead. The least we could do is to give you a good meal. Maybe you could stay the night?" Kinu pointed out.

"I'm starting to think that's the best idea," Kagome said.

"Yes, it would be scary to part ways here," Sango said, noticing that the sun would set in a matter of hours.

"Yeah, demons are more likely to ambush someone at night," Kaname recalled.

"Well, it would be rude to refuse..." Inuyasha trailed off.

"It's decided then. You'll stay the night in the mansion. Follow us," Yurihime said as the three walked down a side path. The group followed.

* * *

The sun had nearly set when the group was given their dinner. As Yurihime had said, there was a plethora of meat, fish, vegetables, and also some fruit. Shippo pratically drooled at the sight of such food.

"It looks so good!" Kaname exclaimed.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dig in!" Kagome said, grabbing a pair of chopsticks and taking a bite of fish. The others followed.

All except for Miroku, who was hitting on Yurihime.

"Oh, Miroku, such sweet words!" Yurihime exclaimed, on the verge of swooning. Why? Miroku called her beautiful.

"Well, I never flatter," Miroku replied.

"Really?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, taking a bit of meat and eating it.

"He really lays it on," he deadpanned.

"Yeah, really," Kaname added dully. She knew someone in her school who was almost like Miroku: He hit on girls nonstop. Who was this someone, you ask? Aoi.

"A monk, huh? Doesn't seem to act like it," Sango said. The grip on her chopsticks was so hard that they broke in her hands.

"Sango, are you angry?" Kaname said, taking some fruit.

"Yeah. It's because of Miroku," Kagome said. Kaname nodded in understanding. Miroku looked out the window.

"It's such a beautiful night," he announced. Yurihime's eyes gleamed, as though she had an idea.

"Would you like to go outside, Miroku?" she asked.

"Sure, let's go," Miroku replied as the two walked out.

"They're gone," Kaname said, knowing all too well she was stating the obvious.

"Hey, Kagome, I was wondering. Is Miroku like that 'Don Juan' guy you had that assignment about?" Shippo asked.

"I'm afraid so. Should we let them go, Sango?" Kagome replied.

"It has nothing to do with me," Sango said firmly, setting down her plate.

"I'm getting the feeling that it does..." Shippo said.

"I-I don't care about that perverted monk!" Sango stammered, blushing.

_I feel sorry for Sango. Having a crush on the ladies man,_ Kaname thought, taking a bite out of her fish. Then she thought of something.

"Hey, I just thought of something. Why _is_ Miroku on this journey to find Naraku, anyway? I understand that he wants to meet a lot of girls, but other than that, I don't see any real gain for him. What I mean is, he doesn't seem like he's in this to save the world," Kaname said. Kagome's eyes widened, as if she remembered something.

"That's right! We didn't tell you about the Wind Tunnel," she exclaimed.

"Wind Tunnel? That the power Miroku has, right?" Kaname asked, remembering that he had used it on a few relentless demons.

"Yes. But I wouldn't exactly call it a power. It was a curse, given to his family by Naraku," Kagome explained.

"Really? The poor guy," Kaname said when she thought of something. "But, why would Naraku give Miroku the Wind Tunnel? Isn't it helpful on Miroku's part?"

"It isn't that simple," Inuyasha piped in.

"Every year, the Wind Tunnel gets bigger and bigger," Shippo added. "And eventually it'll swallow him up!" Kaname's eyes widened at that.

"That means the Wind Tunnel eventually kills him, doesn't it?" she asked. Kagome nodded solemnly.

"And the only way to save himself is to defeat Naraku," she added.

_Poor guy, _Kaname thought. _I didn't realize what he's been through..._

Then, something caught Kaname's eye while she sat back. Curious, she stood up and walked towards the silkscreen divider, thinking she had seen something written in the wall behind it.

"What're you doing?" Shippo asked.

"I just want to look around," Kaname replied, approaching the divider.

_Kinda odd that someone would put a divider here, since it's not a bedroom or anything that would need something like this, _she thought when she saw sloppily written kanji, apparantly in red ink or paint. Kaname could only understand a couple of words, which were '_demons_', '_barrier_', and '_help_'.

_That's a bit creepy, _Kaname thought. _Maybe there are demons in the mansion...But they would've been destroyed by now, right? _She shook her head as she walked toward the door, but heard two voices, which she recognized as Kinu and Koto.

"Soon, sister," Koto's voice said.

"Yes, soon. I pick the girl with short hair," Kinu replied.

"I'll take the girl with black hair," Koto said.

Kaname felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She bit her lip while going towards her table.

"Um...There's something strange going on here. There's writing on that wall there, in red ink," she said, pointing to the divider.

"What? Was somebody bad-mouthing someone?" Shippo asked curiously.

"No, I could hardly get what it was saying," Kaname replied, "But it's still pretty strange."

"What a baby! What are you so scared about?" Inuyasha exclaimed, standing up.

"I'm not scared!" Kaname lied. "Just take a look, please?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Inuyasha said, walking towards the divider. Thenhe cought a whiff of something all-too familiar. After investigating the markings, there wasn't any doubt.

"Hey, the kid's right," he said, walking towards the others. "That red ink she mentioned, it was actually human blood."

A chill went down Kaname's spine. If her hunch was right, then the very people who invited them there weren't actually people...but demons.

* * *

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happiness and love as flames are to hatred and sadness.


	14. Of Sake and Barriers

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue. (smiles)

YES! Over one thousand hits! (dances like a loon, then trips and falls) Hehehe...Seriously, I love you all. And sorry I haven't updated in months. As I said, school kept getting in the way. Granted, I didn't think it would take _this_ long to update...

And as I said before, the only couple I'll imply is a bit of Kaname/Sesshomaru. Nothing romantic with Inuyasha and Miroku, because I like Kikyo/Inuyasha/Kagome and Miroku/Sango, thank you very much. (Sorry, guys; I know a majority of you are Inuyasha/Kaname fans.) I'm just saying that now because I noticed a lot of the intervals have been with Inuyasha, and you _know _I'll have to novelise a Miroku interval.

On with the fic!

* * *

"Human blood?" Kagome repeated. Sango got up.

"Now that you mention it, I'm getting worried about Miroku," she siad. Everyone nodded in agreement and left the room, only to be faced by Kinu and Koto.

"Where are you going?" Koto asked. "More food is about to arrive."

Kaname sweatdropped when she blurted out the first thing in mind: "I have to use the restroom."

Kagome added, "Yes, I need to go too." Kinu and Koto frowned.

"Please go back into the room. You can use the restroom after the party," Kinu demanded. Sango raised an eyebrow.

"Use the restroom _after_the party?" she asked, eyes narrowing. Kinu and Koto shared a glance.

"They're suspicious," Koto said.

"That is no matter, Koto," Kinu said as their shapes started to melt away. "We only need to stall them long enough for Hime-sama to get the monk's liver."

When their human forms completely melted away, the forms that replaced them reminded Kaname of the shrinked heads she read in a book once. Their long ebony hair served as some sort of a tail as they floated.

"They've transformed!" Shippo exclaimed. Kaname shook her head.

"No, Shippo," she said, "This is their true form!"

* * *

As Kinu and Koto disappeared in a shroud of smoke, Kaname sighed.

"This was a set up! I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. Sango put a hand on the Shikigami user's shoulder.

"My father once told me that the worst kind of demon is the one that can assume a human form. Naraku does this frequently, so you should be on your toes at all times," she advised. Kaname nodded.

"Thanks, Sango. I'll keep that in mind," she said as Kagome heard something.

"What's that coming from over there?" she asked, going straight ahead, where Koto was. The group followed, but instanly tensed when they saw a group of demons partying. They were talking and laughing.

"They're partying?" Kaname asked, sweatdropping.

"Demons can have parties too, you know," Shippo said.

"I'm so excited! It's been years since I've tasted human flesh!" one demon exclaimed.

"Young girl's flesh!" another cheered.

"Young girls? Do they mean us?" Kagome asked, shivering.

Kaname felt sick to her stomach. Forget all the horror movies she had seen, _this _would give her nightmares for months to come.

"I don't think we should take them on right now," Sango whispered. "There's too many. We should think of another plan."

* * *

"So what do you think we should do?" Shippo asked.

"If Yurihime is a demon, then we have no time to waste. Miroku's in danger, and we need something to distract that crowd," Kagome said, getting right to business.

"I say he's getting what's coming to him. The guy's a ladies man, remember?" Inuyasha pointed out.

"True, but he's an important ally and you know that," Kagome said.

Shippo sighed when he caught a scent. He got off his perch on Kaname's shoulder and picked up something behind the wheat.

"Look what I found," he said, showing it to everyone.

"Is that sake?" Kaname asked, recognizing the shape of the box. Kagome examined the box.

"This says 'Ayakoshi Spring Sake'," she read. Sango's eyes widened as she took the box.

"This is perfect! The other Demon Slayers told me once that this is the demon's favorite sake. They can't resist it," she said.

"Then we can send them coming where we can corner them!" Kaname exclaimed.

"Right. Let's go, everyone," Kagome said as they left the room.

When Sango prepared the sake at the hallway near the room the group had occupied before they faought Kinu and Koto, the result was instant.

"Hmm? I smell something!" a demon exclaimed. "It's sake! And it's not just any sake; It's Ayakoshi Spring Sake! I'll be right back!"

"Here they come..." Sango said, hand on her Hiraikotsu.

* * *

Everyone was panting heavily when the last demon faded away. Even Inuyasha was tired.

"Okay who here never wants to do something like this again?" Kaname asked between breaths. Everyone raised their hands. "Is this normal for you guys?"

"Actually, no. This is our first time fighting this many demons. I'm bushed," Kagome said.

"We can't stop yet. We still need to help Miroku," Sango pointed out. Everyone nodded and went forward. As they advanced towards the princess's room, they heard Miroku say, "It's such a beautiful night."

"Is that Miroku?" Kaname asked.

"Oh, Miroku! Comfort me?" Yurihime's voice piped up.

"Of course," Miroku's voice answered. Sango developed a dark aura.

"Why that little...!" she growled, running ahead. Everyone followed to see Miroku kneeling to the princess. They couldn't see Yurihime's face at the moment.

"You pervert!" Sango yelled. Yurihime was surprised, but Miroku didn't stir.

"Why are you here? Guards!" she exclaimed. Inuyasha smirked.

"If you're talking about those demons, we destroyed them already," he informed the princess. Yurihime scowled as Sango attempted to enter the room. She was blocked by a blue light.

"A barrier?!" Kaname exclaimed. Sango glanced at Miroku, who still hadn't moved.

"Wake up, Miroku!" Sango exclaimed. Yurihime smirked.

"Yes, a barrier. I knew you would get past my demon guards, so I created this. And don't bother calling to him. He's in a trance right now," she said, causing Sango to tense. "Now, you be good while I eat the monk's liver and maybe I'll end your lives painlessly." Yurihime showed pointed teeth and was about to make the kill when...

"It's not that simple!" Miroku exclaimed, throwing a seal at Yurihime. The seal forced Yurihime to revert to her original form.

"What?!" Yurihime screeched. "I thought you were in a trance!"

"Unfortunately for you, it'll take a lot more than that to take me down," Miroku replied, turning his attention to the crystal. He destroyed it with his staff and the barrier faded. The team entered the room, getting weapons out. Yurihime tried to escape when Inuyasha grabbed her hair.

"Oh no, you don't! Not after everything you've put us through!" he snapped. Kaname and Kagome glanced at each other and nodded.

_"I envoke thee, Shikigami..."_Kaname chanted. A light blue flame appeared on Kagome's arrow. She shot the arrow at Yurihime and it hit.

"Fire Bombs!" Shippo yelled, throwing bombs at Yurihime, who countered by wrapping her hair around Kaname's ankle.

_"O flame burning bright, change form at my call!" _Kaname quickly chanted, aiming at the hair that had wrapped itself around her ankle. The demon screeched as the hair burned away.

The battle was ended by a joint attack, courtesy of Inuyasha and Sango. Sango threw her Hiraikotsu while Inuyasha followed that up with a Wind Scar.

* * *

"So, you knew this entire time?" Kaname asked. The group found that the montain mansion was close to Tsuzumi Village and decided to stay there. As the group walked, Miroku explained his side of the story.

"Of course! I could sense a barrier rock in the mansion and demon auras. I simply put the pieces together from there. I needed a distraction so I could destroy the barrier, so I have you to thank," Miroku replied. Sango shook her head.

"I really thought you were in a trance back there..." she said. Miroku smiled.

"You were that worried? You must really love me then," Miroku replied. Sango blushed heavily. It would have been an adorable scene...if a certain monk hadn't put his hand where it didn't belong.

SLAP!

In Tsuzumi Village, when Densuke answered the door, he saw a pissed off Demon Slayer, a monk with a stinging red cheek, and three companions who were shaking their heads.

"Goodness! A day has passed and you're back?" Densuke asked.

"It's a long story," Miroku said, sweatdropping. Densuke nodded and prepared the beds.

"He doesn't give up, does he?" Inuyasha asked.

"If only he wasn't that much of a ladies' man," Shippo added.

"Yeah...Poor Sango," Kagome said, nodding.

_I really don't think I'll ever understand Miroku, _Kaname thought, sweatdropping. A few minutes later, Densuke had announced that their beds were ready, and the team instantly drifted into dreamland.

* * *

"Everyone, what do you think about having the day off? We still need a rest from fighting all those demon guards last night," Sango asked.

"Yeah, I'm still sore," Kaname said, rubbing her hands.

"Okay, then. I was thinking of training, anyway," Inuyasha said, walking out the door.

"I'll go with you," Sango said, following the hanyou.

"I think I'll go shopping," Kagome said.

"Me too!" Shippo exclaimed, perching himself on Kagome's shoulder.

Kaname sighed. She _knew_this day would come. Miroku always kind of scared her. Sure, she was used to being hit on (courtesy of Aoi), but she was a bit uneasy when Miroku asked her to bear his children. Wouldn't_ you_ be?

...Thought so.

"It's a beautiful day today. Why don't we go for a walk?" Miroku asked.

"Okay," Kaname said, nodding.

Later...

Everything was quiet. Kaname, never able to take a lot of quiet, blurted out, "I heard about your secret."

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked.

"The Wind Tunnel. Every year it gets bigger and bigger," Kaname said, stretching out her arms to prove her point, "And eventually you'll be swallowed by it."

Miroku glanced at the faraway trees, a forlorn look on his face.

"I see," he said. "It is true, but nothing of this world lasts forever. Even those trees over there will eventually fall over and die. That is the nature of everything. I believe it's what you do until the end that matters."

"That's really how you think about it?" Kaname asked, surprised. "I haven't been in this group for long, but I can tell nobody wants you to die. And I never pegged you for someone who would want to die."

Miroku sighed, looking up at the endless blue sky.

"You're very intuitive, Kaname," he said. "Truth be told, I am scared of the Wind Tunnel. It took me a long time to accept that I would die at the hands of this curse, as my grandfather and father have. But my master once told me it is important to feel fear, insecurity and everything your heart feels."

Kaname frowned. She had already thought Miroku was enlightened...only to find that he's still suffering because of this curse. Seeing that Miroku wanted to be left alone, Kaname walked towards the village.

Miroku watched Kaname go and sighed. She was right; he didn't want to die. He still had a lot of living to do. And Kami-sama knew what would happen if he would leave the others, especially Sango. Yes, he had fallen for the Demon Slayer, but he would never reveal that to her, because he didn't want to break her heart when he left.

* * *

_I shouldn't have brought that up, _Kaname thought. Now she was depressed. And she had a good reason to be; Miroku's story reminded her of a childhood friend who was battling cancer the last time she saw him.

A small mewing snapped her out of her thoughts. She tensed, but relaxed when she looked down and saw Kirara.

"Hey, Kirara! Isn't Sango with you?" she asked, kneeling. Kirara walked behing Kaname and started sniffing at her backpack. Kaname blinked when she remembered the dried fish she stashed in her backpack.

"Do you want some?" she asked, taking out the fish food. Kirara mewed happily as Kaname handed her the dried fish. Kirara took the fish in her mouth and ran off. Kaname followed.

In another part of the forest, Kaname watched Kirara eat. She smiled; Kirara reminded her of a pet kitten she had once.

"There you are, Kirara! I was looking for you," she heard Sango's voice exclaim.

"Hi, Sango. Aren't you training?" she asked.

"I wanted to take a little break," Sango explained, scratching Kirara's head. She noticed the dried fish in Kirara's mouth.

"Oh, thanks for feeding Kirara, Kaname," she said, taking Kirara into her arms. "You've made her happy."

"It wasn't that much..." Kaname said when she realized something. "Hey, Kirara always knows where you're going to be, doesn't she?"

Sango nodded, saying, "Yes. Besides Kohaku, Kirara's the only family I have."

"Kohaku, the one that Naraku...?" Kaname asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes. He's my only brother," Sango replied, causing Kaname to sigh sadly. It seems that nearly everyone's lives were ruined because of Naraku. Miroku's curse, Sango's brethren...

"Why do you look so sad? I will get Kohaku back one day, so don't look like you're going to cry," Sango said. Kaname nodded as Kirara jumped out of Sango's arms and on Kaname's shoulder. Kirara licked Kaname's cheek, causing her to giggle.

"Kirara likes you. I've never seen her act like that for anyone else except for Kohaku and me. I think we'll get along fine," Sango added as she and Kaname walked back to the hut.

_How did Sango end up comforting me? She's so kind, _Kaname thought. Then she dwelled on the effect that Naraku seemingly had on the others. She hadn't even met him yet, but for anyone to tear lives apart as he had Sango's and Miroku's, Kaname knew Naraku must be really bad. And Kaname wanted to help any way she can.

_I will get stronger, _she swore to herself. _I'll get stronger and help defeat Naraku. _

* * *

I think the ending's sappy. But sadly, it was the only thing I could think of. (sweatdrop)

What'd you think? Remember, good reviews are to happiness and love as flames are to hatred and sadness.


	15. Arriving at Castle Town

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The anime and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. So yes, I will basically kill you if you sue. (smiles)

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN MORE THAN A YEAR SINCE I'VE UPDATED! BLAME LIFE, COLLEGE, I DON'T CARE WHICH YOU CHOOSE TO BLAME, BUT PLEASE FORGIVE THIS POOR SOUL! TT^TT

Enjoy.

* * *

"Have you had a good rest, everyone?" Densuke asked as everyone got ready to go.

"Yes. Thank you again, Densuke," Kaname replied, bowing. Densuke smiled at the group.

"May you be blessed with a safe journey," he said, bowing back.

* * *

"We're finally here!" Shippo cheered as the group came upon a bridge leading to the nearby village. A tower in the distance seemed to stretch into the sky.

"This is the Castle Town?" Kaname asked, putting her finger to her chin. "It looks pretty normal."

Inuyasha turned around, inspecting the village.

"Maybe so, but I'm getting a weird feeling," he said. Miroku followed Inuyasha's gaze.

"I do sense something a bit off," he agreed. Shippo hopped on Kaname's shoulder.

"Everything's never as it seems," he excaimed. "Otherwise we'd have no need for monks like Miroku!"

Sango smiled, saying, "I guess so."

"What do you mean by that?" Miroku asked, turning towards Shippo.

An short silence fell between the group. Kagome broke it by saying, "Now that they mention it, doesn't it seem kinda gloomy for a castle town?"

"Maybe," Sango agreed. Kagome nodded.

"But I'll be happy as long as I can take a bath!" she added, grinning. Kaname smiled at the thought of a nice bath.

"I agree. We've been camping out this whole time and we've had to make due without one," she said, taking a lock of her hair and twisting it around.

"...A bath?" Inuyasha asked. "What do you need one of those for? We don't need them yet, do we?"

He came towards Kagome, sniffing the air around her. Kagome yelped, blushing.

"You're awful! Sit, sit, sit, sit, SIT! Stupid Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha was forced to the ground a total of five times. Everyone watching the scene sweatdropped.

"There they go again!" Shippo exclaimed. Kaname sighed.

* * *

"Look at these lines!" Shippo exclaimed when they saw not one, but two long lines of people going into separate stores.

"What's so great about them?" Inuyasha asked.

"Come on in! My prices are much cheaper than the store next door!" A girl coming from one of the stores called.

"That's a lie! My store has cheaper prices!" A man from the next store called.

The two shopkeepers glared dirty glares at each other before returning to their duties.

"...I think I'll pass shopping for a while," Kaname said. Nobody disagreed.

* * *

"There's an inn! Maybe we could stay there for a bit," Kaname exclaimed.

"Don't be so sure," Kagome said, pointing at the nearby sign. There was a notice that said, "This inn is currently full, please come back later."

Kaname and Kagome sighed. So much for that bath...

"Excuse me. Are you going to the castle?" a voice said. The group turned to see a woman in a green-and-red kimono. She was looking at them hopefully.

"Yes, we are," Miroku said, smiling charmingly. The woman smiled and turned towards the inn.

"Girls!" she called. "These travelers are going to go to the castle!"

_Whether we can get there or not is the question..._ Kaname thought as three more women came out of the inn.

"Is it true?" One woman asked.

"Are you really going to the castle?" Another asked. Shippo blinked.

"Why the ruckus? What's going on at the castle?" he asked.

"My name is Shino, and these are Naka, Matsu and Katsue. We're the wives of the samurai. Our husbands went to the castle and they haven't returned yet," the first woman explained.

"We haven't seen them in months!" Katsue added.

"We really miss them," Matsu piped in.

"Poor things," Kaname said, sympathizing with them.

"It must be really hard work for a samurai," Kagome said, nodding. Shino nodded, saying, "The four of us just got together to discuss how we could possibly get some food to our husbands."

"Is that why you're all here? Would you like us to take the food there with you?" Kaname asked. Inuyasha gave her a flabbergasted look.

"Hey, kid! What the hell are you saying?" he demanded. Kagome gave him a warning glare before turning towards the women.

"It's fine, really," she said. "We can take them."

"We're going to the castle anyway, so why not?" Sango added. The women's eyes lit up.

"Thank you so much," Shino said, handing Kagome a rice ball. "Could you please deliver this rice ball to my husband? His name is Yukimura."

"And these, too!" Matsu added as she, Katsue, and Naka gave them three more riceballs.

"Thank you so much!" the four said in unison. Kaname smiled when she felt a tug on her arm. She looked down and she saw a little boy.

"Are you really going to the castle? Can I ask you to do me a favor?" he asked hopefully. Kaname crouched down to his level.

"Sure. Ask away," she replied. The boy held out a purple pinwheel.

"My name is Jiro. Can you send this pinwheel I made to my sister? She lives in the castle," he said. Kaname took the pinwheel as Kagome said, "You miss her a lot, don't you?"

"No!" Jiro said, blushing a bit. "She's the one that misses me. I bet she cries 'cuz she can't see me as often as she used to. So, tell her to hang in there for me."

Kaname nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll definitely give it to her if I see her. What was your sister's name?"

"It's Toki. Make sure you give it to her, or you'll be sorry!" Jiro exclaimed, running off.

"...Feh," Inuyasha muttered as the group started to head toward the castle.

* * *

"So there's the castle," Kaname said as the group stood in front of the massive tower.

"It looks so big...How are we gonna get those rice balls to the samurai?" Shippo asked.

"I'm not so sure..." Kagome said when a hand grabbed Kaname's shoulder, causing her to yelp. The hand belonged to an old man in a red outfit.

"You scared me!" Kaname exclaimed, putting her hand on her heart.

"Sorry. I just wanted to tell you that the king has changed!" the man said frantically.

"Changed? Changed how?" Sango asked.

"The look in his eyes has changed, and he swears a lot. Not to mention that he kills you on the spot if he doesn't like you!" he said. "He's gone so far to kicking _me_ out, and I'm his chief advisor!"

Shippo smirked, saying, "Sounds like somebody else I know of." All eyes turned towards Inuyasha, who blinked.

"Hey, why are you staring at me like that?" he asked.

"I tell you, he's been possessed by a demon!" the advisor said.

"Who has a hot temper," Shippo added. Inuyasha glared at Shippo.

"I'll remember that," he growled. The advisor looked at Shippo and Inuyasha with a curious stare.

"I don't know what your situation is..." he finally said, "but the rumor is he's been possessed by a demon. If this keeps going on, the castle will be ruined and our king lost forever!"

"Want to find out what's going on?" Kaname asked.

"Sounds like a good idea," Kagome replied. Everyone agreed.

* * *

They were about to go into the castle when they heard a voice shout, "Wait just a minute!"

They turned and saw one of the guards.

"Don't you know that's the road to the castle grounds?" the guard asked.

"That's where we're trying to get to," Kagome explained. The guard gave them scrutinizing looks.

"You must be up to something. This is a restricted area," he finally said.

A silence followed as an old man came by, greeted the guards, and made his way to the castle without so much as a single protest.

"But he's going through!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"He's here to pay his taxes, so he is allowed inside," the guard explained.

"WHAT? Stop stalling us!" Inuyasha yelled, putting a hand on his sword.

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Kagome yelled.

As Inuyasha was pummeled to the ground, Kaname said, "Maybe we should get out of here."

"Arguing here won't do any good," Kagome agreed as Inuyasha slowly got up.

"Maybe so, but how are we gonna get through?" he demanded. Unfortunately, nobody had an answer.

* * *

"Now what do we do?" Kaname lamented. The group had returned to the inn and saw that a room had been emptied. They happily took the room and were now sitting around the room.

"I don't know. Maybe if we said we were going to pay the tax too, maybe we would've gotten in," Kagome said.

"Yes, but would they have believed us?" Miroku questioned. Everyone sighed.

"Come on. We've relaxed enough. Let's get into the castle somehow and get to the bottom of this," Inuyasha said, getting up.

"Inuyasha, you're being hasty again!" Kagome said as they got out of the room. Before Inuyasha and Kagome started to bicker, Kaname saw a familiar face in the lobby.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, pointing to the figure. The others turned towards the figure, surprise on half of their faces and confusion on only two.

* * *

I'm gonna end the chappie here. Please review. And before you guys shoot me...*Gets a blindfold, wraps it over eyes, and puts a chocolate cigar in mouth*

Okay. Fire away!


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